The Complete Guide to Performance Appraisal

" A good appraisal system can serve as an effective structure for culture change within an organization -- and it can help ease one of every manager's most dreaded duties. Now, based on 25 years of experience, Dick Grote gives readers everything they need to make the process work well, including:

* what an ideal system looks like

* the available options and approaches

* how to evaluate performance, write a fair appraisal, and conduct the actual appraisal discussion

* how to create a system from scratch or optimize the one already in place

* critical issues that must be considered, including employee development, pay, and legal concerns

* emerging trends that influence the process -- such as 360-degree feedback, teams, the use of software

* actual appraisal forms from 12 companies, as well as scripts, diagrams, checklists, worksheets, flow charts, and sample policies"

On the other hand, it is not as practical for managers, due to its size and price. Or rather there are better choices. One other significant disadvantage of this book is that it is traditional, and lacks new ideas or approaches such as put forth by Deming, Scholtes and Coens.

Of course the manager who likes to read on these topics will also gain. It's just that these days it's hard to get anybody to read anything related to work that is this size.


Mixed strengths...   February 21, 2007
JJD (NJ, United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I tried out this book when I taught a course on performance management. This is a sound text for a practitioner willing to sift through the text to find answers to specific problems. (It's not a briefcase book, so it will take some work to find the answers.) It is also useful in that it provides multiple examples of forms and procedures that can serve as templates.

On the other hand, Grote has a palpable disdain for research that is evident in the very first chapter. He rarely cites other literature, academic or otherwise, and is even loathe to provide general references. In fact, his recommendations seem based entirely on his own experiences, which in many cases are consistent with the best practices suggested by research, but in some respects are oddly divergent. (He also not above pushing his own programs, such as his "discipline without punishment" system, which are are not as widely accepted as the text would lead a reader to believe.) Additionally, the quality of the writing varies WILDLY between chapters. Some are quite coherent and smooth, whereas others are an absolute mess for students to outline and follow.

In the future, I will probably recommend this book as a supplemental text, particularly for MBA students or undergraduates who intend to go straight into the workforce. I would not recommend it as a primary text, especially in an I/O Psychology setting or for PhD students.