| One widely used approach to managerial appraisal is | | | | established adequate but reasonably attainable |
| the system of evaluating managerial performance | | | | objectives and how they have performed against |
| against the setting and accomplishing of verifiable | | | | them in a certain period. |
| objectives. Corporate performance management | | | | There are other questions too, when using corporate |
| software plays a pivotal role in this regard. This is | | | | performance management software. Were the goals |
| simple logic, since people cannot be expected to | | | | adequate? Did they call for stretched (high but |
| accomplish a task with effectiveness or efficiency | | | | reasonable) performance? These questions can be |
| unless they know what the end points of their efforts | | | | answered only through the judgment and experience |
| should be. Nor can any organized enterprise in | | | | of a person's superior, although this judgment can |
| business or elsewhere be expected to do so. | | | | become sharper with time and experience, and it may |
| Once a program of managing by verifiable objectives | | | | be even more objective if the superior can use the |
| is operating, appraisal is a fairly easy step. Supervisors | | | | goals of other managers in similar positions for |
| determine how well managers set objectives and how | | | | comparison. |
| well they have performed against them. In cases | | | | In assessing the accomplishment of goals, the |
| where appraisal by results has failed or been | | | | evaluator must take into account such considerations |
| disillusioning, the principal reason is that managing by | | | | as whether the goals were reasonably attainable in |
| objectives was seen only as an appraisal technique. | | | | the first place, whether factors beyond a person's |
| The system is not likely to work if used only for this | | | | control unduly helped or hindered in accomplishing |
| purpose. | | | | goals, and what the reasons for the results were. The |
| Management by objectives must be a way of | | | | reviewer should also note whether an individual |
| managing, a way of planning and a key to organizing, | | | | continued to operate against obsolete goals when |
| staffing, leading and controlling. When this is the case, | | | | situations changed and revised goals were called for. |
| appraisal boils down to whether or not managers have | | | | |