How to Ruin A Performance Evaluation
Management consultant Dan Coughlin, CEO of The Coughlin Company, lists 10 ways a boss can ruin an employee’s performance evaluation:
Lack seriousness – Constantly change the date of the evaluation, show up unprepared and shuffle papers while the employee talks.
Be inconsistent – Tell an employee he or she is great, and then give only a “satisfactory” rating.
Provide no rationale for your rating – Telling employees they are “good workers” is pointless if there is no context that describes the rating. People need to know their strengths and their opportunities for improvement.
Neglect to have a follow-up conversation within 60 days of the evaluation – The only point of an evaluation is to improve performance. Stating what needs to be done and never following up on these things demonstrates that the evaluation is not important.
Don’t implement positive or negative consequences – If there are no consequences, then there will be no change in behavior.
Be too subjective in your rating – Performance evaluations need to be based on observed performance and results, not on emotions.
Focus on personal styles rather than on results – Bosses who have the same or opposite personality styles from their employees should never base their rating on this topic. Instead, focus on actual performance.
Provide vague feedback rather than actionable recommendations – Saying, “This year I want you to be more efficient,” is too vague. Saying, “This year I want you to improve customer service with our top three customers” gives some positive direction.
Make the rating a complete surprise – An effective performance review is merely the summation of an on-going series of evaluations, both formal and informal, throughout the year.
See the person in action so rarely that your evaluation has no credibility – Making statements about an employee’s behavior based only on hearsay will frustrate the employee and ruin relationships among co-workers.
How to Avoid Identity Theft
Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and the Nevada Bureau of Consumer Protection are encouraging Nevadans to take steps to safeguard themselves from identity theft. An imposter can misuse personal identifying information to commit fraud or theft, which can include opening fraudulent credit card accounts, securing deposits on cars and housing, and even robbing retirement savings accounts. By following these tips, you can decrease your chances of becoming a criminal’s next victim:
Never give out personal information over the telephone.
Shred or otherwise destroy all documents containing personal information, including unwanted direct mailings such as credit card solicitations.
Mail letters at the post office instead of leaving them to be picked up from your mailbox.
Carefully review all billing statements for unauthorized charges and report them immediately.
Order your credit report once a year from a national credit bureau and review it for inaccuracies and fraudulent use.
Stamp Features Neon Welcome
“Greetings from Nevada,” the first postage stamp to feature a neon sign, is part of the 50-stamp “Greetings from America” series released this month by the U.S. Postal Service. The commemorative stamps combine native flora and fauna with local points of interest to celebrate the unique character of each state. The Nevada stamp depicts images of two vintage neon signs created by the Young Electric Sign Company. The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was designed in 1955 and still stands at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. The horse and rider sign designed for the Hacienda Hotel in 1967 was recently refurbished and is now part of the Las Vegas Neon Sign Museum at the Fremont Street experience. The reverse side of the stamp lists the state bird, state flower and tree, capital and date of statehood.
Thank Goodness It’s Tuesday
When is the best time to get something done? According to a recent survey by Accountemps, a national temporary staffing firm, employees hit their peak performance on Tuesdays. Not surprisingly, Fridays were viewed as the least productive day of the week. The results are consistent with two earlier polls conducted in 1987 and 1998. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and included responses from 150 executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.
Executives were asked,
“In your opinion, on which day of the week are employees generally most productive?”
Monday 26%
Tuesday 48%
Wednesday 9%
Thursday 5%
Friday 1%
Don’t know/no answer 11%
Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps, noted, ” Mondays can be hectic because there are frequently more meetings scheduled. By Tuesday, employees may be better focused on day-to-day responsibilities.” He added that as the weekend nears, productivity is clearly impacted – a sign that workers may need closer guidance or an extra morale boost to keep projects on track.