Empathize While You Appraise Two Sides Of A coin

EMPATHIZE
WHILE YOU
APPRAISE:

TWO
SIDES OF A

COIN

Appraisals are a time that brings
in lots of tension, whether from
managers or employees.
However, the good news, it does
not have to be this way! By
helping managers develop their
empathizing skills, appraisals can
be an excellent chance to build a
healthy culture and good
relationships with employees as
we develop competencies and
capacities.

1. Listening to future
objectives vs. commenting on
the last year

Let’s spend less time talking about
the past and more time listening to
one other. Listening to learn about
people’s goals for the new year
and beyond.

2. Changing the lens on success
or failure and viewing them as
experiences to learn from-

Instead of viewing matters in black
or white, either a success or a
failure, regarding issues in terms of
lessons learned would be much
better.

Examining what didn’t go as
planned and

soliciting opinions on how it may
have been handled better.

3. Giving compassionate
strength-based feedback

It’s not the content of the feedback
that matters, but the tone and
manner it’s delivered. My manager’s
most helpful feedback was not
always glowing words but rather an
honest assessment of my strengths
and areas for improvement.

It showed a great deal of
consideration and concern, and I left
the room feeling energized and
optimistic about the future.

4. As a manager, express your
interest in seeing your team
member succeed

Give the person a bigger picture of
where you envision them in 1, 3, or 5
years. Draw a vision of success for
them, emphasizing the career route
they can choose. Encourage them to
take charge of their fate!

Declare your higher-level vision for
the team and solicit their
suggestions for how to get there.
What you hear might surprise you!

5. Allow employees to express
themselves

Allow your employees to express
their feelings and emotions.
Appraisals are tough. Even the most
gentle feedback can stir feelings of
disappointment in oneself. We do
not want to hear that we did not do
a good job.

Allow employees to express how
they feel. Listen genuinely and cease
judgment.

Empathy is multi-faceted. Whether
it’s showing compassion towards an
employee’s disability, helping
another during appraisal, or being
there and showing support towards
hard times.

It goes a long way in building
cultures and capacities as people
supported and appreciated