By Sharon Armstrong

Perf_ReviewMost all managers and leaders do performance reviews, and most don’t look forward to them.

This practical and broad ranging book may help.

About the final third of the book is a compilation of sample forms that an organization could adopt or adapt, but the first 130 pages applies to all leaders and managers –whether new to performance reviews or even those who have been doing them for years.

The chapters cover all the basics, but three chapters really stand out for me:

Chapter 1 – The Roots of Anxiety – here Armstrong talks about why there is so much angst and stress and dysfunction associated with many appraisals and appraisal processes.

Chapter 6 – Rating Error Traps – one of the biggest complaints I hear about performance reviews is the rating systems. This chapter does a great job of talking about the challenges here. I think this chapter alone is worth having this book.

Chapter 9 – Performance Reviews in a Changing World – with a world of tele-commuting and virtual employees as well as upward appraisals, this chapter helps think about these things in a meaningful way.

This book isn’t a summer beach read, but it is a book with practical ideas to put on your shelf and review each time performance reviews come around. And if you are an HR role, the reasons for having the book are even more compelling.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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