Effective performance management requires clear communication of job expectations, performance standards, and goals before evaluating employee performance. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, one of the most critical steps in performance management isjointly developing a performance planthat specifies what the employee is expected to accomplish and how performance will be measured. When this step is skipped, performance appraisals often appear unfair and unexpected to employees.
In this scenario, the employee received low ratings based on goals that were never discussed or clarified. This reflects a failure in the planning phase of performance management, not a rating error such as leniency or bias. Dessler emphasizes that employees must clearly understand expectations at the start of the appraisal period; otherwise, evaluations lose credibility and can damage trust, motivation, and engagement.
Performance planning aligns employee efforts with organizational objectives and provides a standard against which performance can be fairly assessed. When managers fail to develop and communicate a performance plan, employees cannot reasonably be held accountable for unmet goals. Therefore, the obstacle illustrated here isfailing to develop a performance plan with the employee.
Source:
Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Performance Management and Appraisal
