A strengths-based performance appraisal focuses a significant change in how organizations approach employee evaluation. Instead of primarily focusing on weaknesses and areas for improvement, this approach emphasizes identifying, understanding, and leveraging employees' inherent strengths. (Most performance feedback in organizations is based on a deficit approach in which person’s weaknesses are seen as their greatest opportunity for development (Van Woerkom et al., 2016))
At present employee engagement and talent retention are paramount and traditional performance appraisal systems are increasingly being challenged. Therefore, traditional focus on identifying and rectifying weaknesses often leads to demotivate and a sense of inadequacy. Strengths-Based Performance Appraisal (SBPA) emerges as a trans formative alternative, shifting the paradigm towards identifying and amplifying employees' inherent talents.
Individual strengths are identified by oneself and by others, they can be refined through practice and by developing related knowledge and skills, so that they can ultimately be productively applied. Recent studies have indicated that it is the use of strengths, no matter what these strengths are, that leads to valuable outcomes, such as job satisfaction, work engagement, well-being, personal growth, and higher levels of work performance (see reviews by Ghielen et al., 2018; Miglianico et al., 2020).
Even though every person has strengths, many people have trouble identifying their strong points (Buckingham and Clifton, 2001) and tend to pay more attention to their weaknesses than to their strengths (Rozin and Royzman, 2001; Roberts et al., 2005).
Individual strengths might come so naturally to a person that they are used unconsciously or might be seen as “normal” or something that “everyone does” (van Woerkom and de Bruijn, 2016).
Strengths-based performance appraisal helps workers in raising awareness of their own strengths by paying attention to and expressing appreciation for their unique qualities. Research has indicated that particularly feedback from others regarding one's strengths at the times when one is at his or her best is effective in raising strengths awareness (Cable et al., 2015).
This may be partly so because this feedback produces strong positive emotions, thereby inducing changes in self-knowledge (McAdams, 1988; Poole et al., 1989). Strengths-based performance appraisal also supports future strengths use by discussing how strengths could be developed even further and how these strengths could be applied more effectively in the work context.
A strengths-based performance appraisal does not imply that performance problems performance can no longer be discussed or that supervisors can only be positive (van Woerkom and de Bruijn, 2016). It does however mean that the supervisor makes an effort to discover the unique qualities of employees and to maximize the opportunity for employees to carry out work activities in a manner that plays to their strengths. (Woerkom MA & Kroon B, 2020)
Implementation of SBPA process
According to the Yam OB & Kluger N, (2011) the SBPA contains the following six stages:
1) The supervisor–supervisee meeting, which includes success stories told by the subordinate using the FFI (Kluger & Nir, 2009), and enthusiasm stories that are told by the supervisor about the subordinate using the reflected best self (Roberts, Dutton, et al., 2005).
2) Filling out questionnaires by both the subordinate and the supervisor, and preparation of reports to be used by the supervisor.
3) A second supervisor–supervisee meeting, involving a strength-based evaluation discussion where the supervisor and subordinate find new ways to use existing strengths, and agreement on goals using the win– win approach.
4) Creating an organizational map of strengths.
5) Staging a party to celebrate the process and the strengths.
6) Implementing a follow-up process. Below, we trace the development of the SBPA and describe its process flow in detail.
List of references
Ø Ghielen STS, van Woerkom M and Meyers MC, 2018. Promoting positive outcomes through strengths interventions: a literature review. J. Posit. Psychol. 13, 573–585. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2017.1365164.
Ø Woerkom MA & Kroon B, 2020. The effect of strength based performance appraisal on perceived supervisor support and the motivation to improve performance.
Ø Woerkom VM & De Bruijn, M, 2016. “Why performance appraisal does not lead to performance improvement: excellent performance as a function of uniqueness instead of uniformity”. Ind. Organ. Psychol. 9, 275–281. doi: 10.1017/iop.2016.11.
Ø Rozin P and Royzman EB, 2001. Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personal. Soc. Psychol. Rev. 5, 296–320. doi: 10.1207/ s15327957pspr0504_2
Ø Yam OB & Kluger N, 2011. Strength based performance appraisal & goal setting, Human resource management review 21. 137-147.
This blog gives a great explanation of Strengths Based Performance Appraisal and how it helps employees grow by focusing on their strengths instead of weaknesses and it highlights the positive impact on job satisfaction and motivation. The process of implementing SBPA is also useful. This approach could definitely improve workplace engagement.
ReplyDeleteDear Mashood,
DeleteI agree with you.
The Strengths-Based Performance Appraisal approach, as outlined in the blog, holds significant promise for improving workplace engagement and fostering a more positive and productive work environment by capitalizing on what employees do best.
This shows a fresh take on performance reviews, because this is focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses. This strengths-based approach could boost the engagement and productivity in Sri Lankan workplaces as well. The 6-step process is practical, although some elements might need a local adaptation. A promising shift from traditional deficit-focused appraisals!
ReplyDeleteHi Zahran,
DeleteYou've highlighted a key advantage of this strengths-based approach – its fresh perspective that prioritizes growth through leveraging what employees do well, rather than solely focusing on shortcomings. This positive orientation has significant potential to boost engagement and productivity in Sri Lankan workplaces, fostering a more encouraging and empowering environment.
I agree with your observation about the practicality of the 6-step process. While the core principles are valuable, your point about the need for local adaptation is crucial. Factors like communication styles, cultural norms around feedback and recognition, and even the existing organizational structures in Sri Lankan companies might necessitate tailoring some elements of the process to ensure effective implementation and buy-in.
This shift from traditional deficit-focused appraisals to a strengths-based model represents a promising evolution in performance management, and considering how to best adapt it to the Sri Lankan context could unlock significant benefits for both employees and organizations."