The Jobbing Doctor has been appraising - and praising - his practice staff
I have spent the early part of the afternoon doing appraisals of my staff. As we have over 30 staff now, this has become an increasingly large slice of time.
I wonder if appraisals work: many staff seem to see them as episodes of performance management, so I adopt a deliberately low-key approach.
What do you say to someone who has been doing the same job for twenty years, is very comfortable in it, and doesn't want to change? It isn't as easy as you might imagine.
I happen to think that the appraisal process is quite useful, and is worthwhile investing some time in. I don't think that is a majority view in our practice, so it is best that it is done by those who feel that usefulness.
One of the major benefits of appraisal is having the opportunity to say thankyou to a variety of people who make my practice tick over. They always seem surprised when I am nice to them; almost as if they are expecting to be softened up with honeyed words, before I tell them what they aren't doing.
It's not like that.
Jobbing Doctor
