Win-Win Performance Appraisals: What to Do Before, During, and After the Review to Get the Best Results for Yourself and Your Employees

2 Setting Objectives

Good objectives link company strategy—the big picture—to what employees do in their jobs and ensure alignment between what employees do and where senior management wants the company to go. When the performance appraisal process is based on objectives, rather than rankings or ratings, it confirms that manager and employee are on the same side, working together.

The objective-setting process can provide a stimulating and creative environment for developing work plans that test and challenge both the employee and the manager to do the best they can and to ensure personal growth and development. The earlier in the performance management cycle you set objectives, the better.

Setting objectives allows you to:

• Create clear performance ...