Patrick Alain - The Quick and Easy Performance Appraisal Phrase Book: 3,000+ Powerful Phrases for Successful Reviews, Appraisals, and Evaluations

Praise for
The Quick and Easy Performance Appraisal Phrase Book

The Quick and Easy Performance Appraisal Phrase Book has everything you need to deliver powerful evaluations.

Onnik Tchulluian, manufacturing manager at St. Jude Medical

I use this book [regularly] for managing my staff. You will praise the day you found this amazing tool.

Cline Lacote, director of Quality Assurance at Coromega

The definitive tool for helping managers who must retain or remonstrate employees.

David Amsellem, CEO at Manager4less.com

This book will make your appraisal process easy, fast, and productive.

Danny J. Fuleihan, chief operating officer at Softensity, Inc.

The Quick and Easy Performance Appraisal Phrase Book covers all aspects of appraisals, including how to wake up your subordinates with harsh rhetoric, if necessary.

Basil Abbas, CEO at Tecsol Software

3,000+ Powerful Phrases for Successful Reviews, Appraisals, and Evaluations

By Patrick Alain

Copyright 2013 by Patrick Alain

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

THE QUICK AND EASY PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PHRASE BOOK

TYPESET BY DIANA GHAZZAWI

Cover design by Jeff Piasky

Printed in the U.S.A.

To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press.

The Career Press, Inc.

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Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

www.careerpress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows: Alain, Patrick.

The quick and easy performance appraisal phrase book: 3000+ powerful phrases for successful reviews, appraisals, and evaluations / by Patrick Alain.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-60163-267-8 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-60163-526-6 (ebook)

1. Employees--Rating of. 2. Employees--Rating of--Terminology.

I. Title.

HF5549.5.R3A39 2013

658.3125014--dc23

2013000074

To my wife, Zaina.

I wish to first thank my in-laws, Sam and Lina Abi-Samra, for their unflagging belief that I am saving the world one phrase at a time. I cannot thank them enough for showing me what it means to be present.

I would like to thank my wife, Zaina, for standing beside me throughout the writing of this book. She has been my inspiration and motivation for continuing to broaden my knowledge and move my writing career forward. She is my rock.

I also thank my beautiful daughter, Michle, for her understanding that when Im writing, Im unable to give her my undivided attention. I hope that she will one day read my books and finally understand why I spent so much time secluded in front of the computer.

I would also like to acknowledge my friend, Tom Carroll, without whom this book series would never have seen the light of day. It was Tom who served as a sounding board for many of the phrases that are found in the three books that now make up the series.

Last, but truly not least, I owe the very existence of my books to my literary agent, Jessica Faust. Jessica, this never would have happened without you. Thanks, too, to my developmental editor, Kirsten Dalley, for finding this book in me, one that I didnt believe existed, and for all your edits, input, and vision, and for skillfully shepherding the manuscript into fruition. And I would be remiss if I did not thank my publicist, Tess Woods, for her guidance in getting the word out about what I hope will be a very helpful tome.

I wrote this book as a powerful framework for managers to use when it comes time for the dreaded performance review. The fact that youre reading this book probably means that you would like to communicate more effectively as a manager during these critical junctures. Or perhaps you just want to perfect your communication skills so youll be eligible for a management position down the line. Either way, this book is for you!

Most managers view performance appraisals with the same amount of excitement and anticipation as their inferiors dothat is to say, with very little of either. In order to provide an employee with an effective and useful review, a manager must develop a strong foundation of communication skills. This is critical for achieving a successful outcome, whether the review is positive or negative. Sure, it can be daunting to have to critique an employee on his or her hygiene, but this book is all about overcoming exactly those kinds of challenges. After all, the whole purpose of the review is to provide employees with the feedback necessary for them to carve a brighter pathway to a more successful future.

Successful performance appraisals start here, with the powerful phrases you need to get your message across. Ready? Lets begin!

This book was designed with flexibility in mind. You can read it all the way through to get a general overview, or you can work on one particular situation or issue that may be presenting itself in an upcoming performance review that promises to be challenging. For example, you may feel very comfortable reviewing an employees general quality of work, but you may not feel as relaxed when doling out criticism about tardiness or a lack of personal grooming. Use the in-depth index at the back of the book to help you find the topic that is most applicable to each situation.

Read all the sample phrases and make a point to familiarize yourself with the ones that feel the most natural or comfortable. Then, practice them until they flow naturally from your mouthor your pen (if you are writing the review). When the time comes youll have no trouble summoning them and using them with confidence and aplomb. And because everyone couches things in a slightly different way, theres a bit of space in the margins where you can amend the existing phrases or add your own favorites. When you are giving the review in person, though, the right words wont necessarily be enough: Remember that tone, body language, and timing (context) are all important in conveying meaning and in how your statements will be taken by others. Thus, a humorous phrase that would be effective and appropriate in one setting could be construed as hostile and inappropriate in another, depending on how, when, and to whom it is said. Always use good judgment and let context be your guide. This is particularly important when you are considering using humor or sarcasm to get a point across. Humor can sometimes come across as flip or dismissive, and sarcasm is definitely one of the quickest ways to make someone feel inept and insignificant. Not everyone will appreciate your style of delivery, so nuance is always required. As well, written reviews are usually more formal in tone and format than verbal reviews done face-to-face. So again, adjust your wording and tone accordingly.