This lesson will help you evaluate performance effectively in English.
Evaluating people's performance is required at most consulting firms. Clearly describing people's positive points can have a powerful effect on morale, and highlighting weak points can help improve performance. This lesson will help you do both.
What do you think about these evaluations?
- She works hard and does her best. Also, she met her deadlines and interacted consistently with her team.
- He leverages his skill set effectively to add immediate value to the project.
- Early on in the project, she worked independently and reached out for help when it was necessary.
A. Read the following evaluations, noting any interesting collocations. Then rate each one on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being not very important and 5 being absolutely integral.
- They drive the project forward with plenty of energy and enthusiasm.
- They are effective at leveraging the resources around them, especially the perspectives of experienced consultants.
- They structure each task comprehensively and break big jobs into achievable goals, progressing quickly and logically through to the next milestone.
- They were stable and reliable.
- In meetings, they make a strong impression not only by presenting information clearly but also through charm and wit.
- They communicate honestly and openly.
- They have extensive specialized knowledge and are able to use it effectively.
- They are quick to offer advice and guidance to teammates, especially junior staff.
Practice the collocations before moving forward. Your teacher will say a noun, verb, adverb or adjective. Try putting it into a phrase.
B. Read and discuss the following evaluations, again noting collocations. Notice that the language tends to be softer than the negative phrases. Rate the issues on a scale of 1-5, with one being not very important and 5 being a massive problem.
- It would be beneficial if they focused more on the client’s point of view.
- They sometimes deliver only what the client asks for, rather than working to understand the underlying issues.
- They are slow to understand core issues, and senior staff need to explain them repeatedly.
- They need to simplify their presentations and crystalize their ideas, especially when presenting to upper management.
- They tend to lose confidence and get disheartened easily.
- They can often be slow to get assistance on difficult projects.
- They keep a low profile and are reluctant to speak up in both client meetings and larger internal meetings.
- They can quickly build good rapport, but they rely too heavily on it. They need to focus more on delivering value to the client.
Practice the collocations before moving forward. Your teacher will say a noun, verb or adverb, and you can use it in a phrase.
Read the information below and rephrase it into formal evaluations. Decide what information you would focus on and if you would ignore anything.
- So, Kimberly Wong, she came aboard a few weeks after we started the project, but she hit the ground running. She was just full of positive energy and always smiling and always giving feedback. I really enjoy working with her! She used to be a doctor, so more than once, she spoke from her medical point of view and pointed out why something wouldn't work. There was just this one time, or maybe it happened twice, when Stan, a senior consultant, got a bit annoyed with Kim. Actually, I think what Kim said was right, but she didn't back her argument up with facts. Maybe, Stan didn't feel respected. Anyway, Kim was really quiet for the rest of the day, but I guess they solved that issue because the next day she was back to her usual self. Stan seemed happy, too.
- Jude McLean is really, really sharp. He's a total rock star at Excel. I saw him take a huge dataset, and within a day he'd cleared out the noise and dug up a really exciting insight. It took him one day. Also, if you tell him something once, he really gets it. That being said, I'm not really sure why we bring him to meetings. I don't think I've heard him say a word to a client other than "hello". Maybe he doesn't have anything to say? But I don't know; it doesn't really leave a good impression. Like, the client's paying good money for him and they don't really get a sense of what he's able to do. He also got annoyed at me a few times when I was just trying to give him feedback. But, you know, he's the best analyst we have. Also, have you seen his suits? He dresses really well.