Accurately appraising the leadership skills of anyone who plays a leadership role is critical, so choosing the right words in the appraisal process is important — not only for the success of your employees, but for the success of your company as well.
Leadership is about influencing others to reach established goals. As such, it’s one of the most critical roles in any company. Leadership maintains the vision, values, culture, objectives, and standards for the company, and when leadership is in doubt, the company is in trouble.
Building a team
Exceptional: Consistently exceeds expectations
Has outstanding team-building skills
Builds a team-oriented attitude among all her employees
Has taken a marginally functional department and converted it into a highly productive team
Uses specific exercises to further strengthen his team
Manages a department that is well known for its high level of teamwork
Has an extraordinary ability to turn a group into a team
Pulls employees together into a cooperative, supportive, and highly successful team
Creates a team-oriented environment
Excellent: Frequently exceeds expectations
Possesses a strong goal orientation, which contributes to the solidarity and focus of her employees
Develops a winning attitude among his employees
Structures projects and assignments to further strengthen teamwork among her employees
Makes all employees feel that they’re valued members of the team
Implements a broad range of special activities that further strengthen his team
Uses a team approach to develop and utilize the unique talents of each employee
Fully competent: Meets expectations
Recognizes and rewards team-oriented behaviors and actions
Consistently emphasizes the importance of teamwork in the department and company at large
Is highly effective in bonding employees together
Is a solid team player
Builds highly productive teams
Generates positive measurable outcomes as a result of teamwork
Sets consistently high expectations regarding teamwork among her employees
Marginal: Occasionally fails to meet expectations
Has minimal concern for teamwork, which is sensed by his employees and evident in their behavior
Makes public comments that place employees in conflict with each other
Doesn’t differentiate between healthy competition and conflict
Undercuts teambuilding by providing preferential treatment to certain employees
Rarely takes action to deal with conflicts or disagreements among her employees
Makes overlapping assignments that create conflict
Takes no action to deal with disruptive employees
Needs to focus less on team activities and more on team productivity
Unsatisfactory: Consistently fails to meet expectations
Engaged in behaviors that turned a successful team into several splintered factions
Provides no recognition or rewards for teamwork
Stays physically removed from his employees
Never works with the group as a whole
Communicates to the group primarily through reprimands
Makes no effort to be part of the team
Focuses on her own needs, rather than on the needs of the team
Interrupts team meetings with comments and behaviors that are far off topic
Making decisions
Exceptional: Consistently exceeds expectations
Uses participative decision making when appropriate
Bases decisions on facts
Gathers the facts and relies on them
Is sensitive to time constraints when making decisions
Approaches decision making with an open mind
Is well regarded as a first-rate decision maker
Clearly understands the costs and benefits of his decisions
Is receptive to innovative ideas and suggestions
Conducts thorough research prior to making major decisions
Excellent: Frequently exceeds expectations
Truly values the input of other employees
Makes difficult decisions that measurably improve operations
Deliberates on decisions, but never overlooks the time and timing
Involves employees in many decisions that affect them and their work
Acts decisively, but not impulsively
Makes unilateral decisions when needed
Shares the credit when decisions generate excellent outcomes
Accepts responsibility if decisions don’t yield desired outcomes
Fully competent: Meets expectations
Separates significant data from insignificant data
Makes timely decisions
Is trusted by her employees when it comes to decision making
Takes decision-making responsibilities seriously
Is able to clearly explain the rationale behind his decisions
Relies on facts rather than emotions
Keeps the good of the company in mind
Reaches decisions that are fair, ethical, and trusted
Marginal: Occasionally fails to meet expectations
Turns every decision into a group decision
Takes too much time to make a decision
Is overly influenced by insignificant details
Lets corporate politics play too great a role
Tends to waver back and forth
Ignores most input from others
Makes snap decisions
Relies on questionable sources
Is overly influenced by emotions
Is easily swayed by others
Procrastinates on important decisions
Unsatisfactory: Consistently fails to meet expectations
Has difficulty making decisions
Has made a string of questionable decisions
Ignores the facts
Acts impulsively on major decisions
Labors excessively long on minor decisions
Asks for input from others, and then ignores it
Insists that everything be done her way
Lets bias and stereotypes influence decision making
Enters decision making with a closed mind
Ignores ideas that differ from his
Abandons her decisions at the first sign of a challenge