Chapter 8

Holding a Conversation to Review Performance

Most managers, myself included, struggle with just how candid we should be with employees. I know how important it is for them to receive frank and honest feedback about their work. To grow in their current jobs and also to assess their chances for promotions, they need to know what they are doing successfully and what they need to improve. Yet, candor can sometimes clash with the equally important management challenge of motivating and inspiring confidence in employees.1

Like a visit to the dentist, the appraisal interview can be a periodic, regrettable necessity that participants have grown to accept grudgingly. While conceding its importance, managers generally remain apprehensive about ...

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