When discussing performance it's great to keep it simple and to the point but above all be positive and make it engaging for the employee to keep them focused which is the hardest part, especially are some people are less motivated than others and it is crucial to work out how to get the best out of your staff and what makes them tick

Having been newly appointed as  a financial controller, this article truly emphasises the importance of communication in general and not merely during performance appraisal times. In addition, it is also something which has made me look at my own development and assessment within the company. This is something that I can take with me to my performance appraisal as an aid in aligning the synergy between my career objectives and company objectives.

Very useful ideas re. praise, what they can do extensively and keep areas for improvement down to 3 items maximum.

The traditional appraisal process is cumbersome and mainly a box ticking exercise, there are better ways. Regular feedback on the keep doing, stop doing, start doing is better limited to 3 items.

Try to ensure that all feedback is more timely and bite size than twice a year. Ensure plenty of positives are given to staff, with negatives in bite size chunks. Try to develop people according to their personal strength, not because their job description instructs so.