Appraisal of Managers

A basic distinction needs to be made between continuous and periodic appraisal of managers. The former is a sine qua non (обязательное условие) in management, while the latter is a useful addendum (дополнение).

In day-by-day practice the superior continuously appraises his subordinates, experienced as well as new. Assignments are checked, repots and letters read and corrected, problems discussed, advice given, scopes of work and authority reassessed, initiative encouraged, objectives reviewed and clarified, and orientation deepened. The close contact implied in these relationships is an educational experience beyond price. It provides the superior with opportunities to watch the progress of his subordinates and shows the subordinate that he is important in the enterprise and that his development is of concern to higher management.

Cooperative enterprise simply could not prosper if this type of relationship did not exist. The detection of such things is a heavy, but crucial, burden to place upon the recruiting officer.

In fact, if one had to choose between continuous and periodic appraisal, the former would be essential.

Periodic appraisal implies an over-all evaluation of a subordinate with respect to his management ability. To become aware of his particular strengths and weaknesses requires extended reflection.

Purposes.

Periodic appraisal can assist the superior in judging the degree of trust he can place in his subordinate – trust in his character, trust in his judgment, and trust in his punctual and effective performance.

Periodic appraisal also determines how much a subordinate’s responsibility should be expanded. His success in carrying out limited assignments indicates his probable success in more responsible situations. The impression he has made on managers in other divisions indicates whether he is ready for expanded responsibility. His behavior in unsupervised assignments is an index to his readiness for added responsibility in situations which limit close supervision.

Periodic evaluation helps the future development of the subordinate. With a desire to improve his efficiency, a basic requirement for development, he will be made aware of weaknesses.

Inevitably, periodic evaluations will be used in determining promotions.

An appraisal form is likely to include a rating of personality, cooperativeness, leadership, intelligence, knowledge of work, clarity of objectives, output, absences, honesty, profit achieved, productivity, and planning ability. The ratings depend largely on subjective evaluations of unmeasurable factors.

In enterprises where several superiors on the same level evaluate subordinates, an effort is frequently made to array the results for such purposes as salary adjustments, promotion, etc.

Knowledge and logic seem often to be absent, and the results are sometimes chaotic. Yet the reasons for periodic evaluations are still with us, and there is a way to enjoy its fruits.

Topic #7

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 814