Improving Employee Performance Through Appraisal and Coaching, Second Edition

When Dick Grote, in the Foreword to this book, writes that “nothing’s changed,” he is not speaking to the state of the human resources field or the art of performance management, both of which have evolved continuously, profoundly, and for the better.

Nor is he describing the content of the new second edition, which, in fact, contains comprehensive material on a whole new generation of jobs in technology, customer service, and other rapidly changing fields, plus brand new examples and two full case studies.

What’s not changed is the fact that author Donald Kirkpatrick is one of the leading voices on human resources and training and development. For more than forty years, Kirkpatrick’s four-level performance evaluation model has been the standard throughout the world, and has revolutionized the way enterprises manage, monitor, and optimize employee performance.

The new edition of Improving Performance Through Appraisal and Coaching contains all the wisdom and step-by-step processes of the original, with all the guidance and tools you’ll need to implement a program that gets maximum results.

The book starts with a 40-question test about your organization and its processes and attitudes regarding performance appraisal and coaching. Taking the test both before and after reading the first section of the book will highlight exactly where your existing initiatives can be improved and new ones put in place. Kirkpatrick then goes on to describe in detail how a culture of coaching builds and enhances performance, and how to build this culture across the entire organization.

Examples and eye-opening “Notes from the Field” both reinforce and complement the author’s sage recommendations, illustrating how his approaches can be adopted in their entirety or deployed piecemeal, depending on your organization’s specific needs. The case studies, both from major employers, prove the overarching value of a proactive performance appraisal program and vibrant coaching environment.

The book is packed with ready-to-use forms and, more important, instructions and observations on their effective use. Plus, every chapter is designed for practical application, featuring accessible charts and figures, lists of key points, specific suggestions, cause-and-effect relationships, and much more.

While workplaces and jobs have changed dramatically, some truths seem everlasting. One is that in order to obtain exceptional employee performance, you need to build a thorough and consistent appraisal mechanism and coaching program. The other is that there is no one more knowledgeable about how to do it than Donald Kirkpatrick.

About the Author

Donald L. Kirkpatrick holds B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. At the Management Institute of the University of Wisconsin, he taught managers at all levels the principles and techniques of many subjects, including human relations, communication, managing time, managing change, leadership, motivation, and decision making. In industry, he developed a Performance Appraisal System for International Minerals and Chemical Corp. Later he served as personnel manager of Bendix Products Aerospace Division.

He is a past national president of the American Society for Training and Development, which gave him its highest honor, "Lifetime Achievement Award in Workplace Learning and Performance," in 2004. He is a member of Training magazine's Hall of Fame.

He is the author of seven management inventories and seven management books, including Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels, which has become the basis for evaluation all over the world. He is a regular speaker at national conferences of ASTD, IQPC, and other professional and company conferences.

The first edition of this book received the "Best Book of the Year' award from the American Society for Personnel Administration (ASPA), now called the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).