B.W. meets Mark, his longtime friend, after a hard day at work. He complains that he spent the whole day with performance appraisals for his subordinates. He did 8 today, 8 yesterday, and has scheduled that many more for tomorrow and the next day. A number of the sessions ended with shouting or tears. There was some minor name calling. When Mark asks B.W. what was wrong with the performance appraisal system, B.W. just looks at him and says, "What could be wrong with it? It's the one I got from corporate 7 years ago?" Mark, an HR professional, could make which of these suggestions to his friend?
A) Attend an interpersonal skill seminar.
B) Take control of the discussion. There should be no room for emotions.
C) Get your supervisor to perform performance appraisals for your employees.
D) Tailor the process to your needs and employees goals.
E) Let your HR department do the performance appraisals.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

B.W.'s current performance appraisal system is causing emotional outbursts and is not effective in motivating employees. Mark, as an HR professional, could suggest tailoring the process to B.W.'s and his employees' needs and goals to make it more effective. This could involve changing the criteria, providing constructive feedback and giving employees a say in setting their own goals. This will ultimately result in a more positive and productive employee-manager relationship. Option A, attending an interpersonal skill seminar, could be helpful, but it does not address the root problem. Option B, taking control of the discussion, is not effective as it does not allow for open and honest communication. Option C is not feasible as it would shift B.W.'s responsibilities to his supervisor, and Option E is not recommended as HR should support managers in conducting performance appraisals, but not take over the process entirely.

BW Meets Mark, His Longtime Friend, After a Hard Day