#17 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀?
Because somewhere along the way, we stopped treating them as conversations, and started treating them as compliance.
Another box to tick.
Another task to survive.

Because appraisals are emotional terrain.
They’re not just about objectives and ratings.
They’re about identity, value, and growth.
They ask us to see the human behind the job title, and that’s not always easy.

So why do we struggle?

1. 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱: no one taught us how to give feedback that lands, or how to hold space when it doesn’t.

2. 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆: we rush the process and lose the meaning.

3. 𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: What will I do if they cry? Push back? Shut down?

4. 𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: We talk performance (past tense), not potential (future focussed).

And yet, this is where leadership lives.
Not in the perfectly completed form or rating scale.
But in the courage to say:
“𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄.”

Because the appraisal isn’t the end of a year.
It’s the 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿.
And it can be a moment that transforms:
• Uncertainty into clarity
• Frustration into focus
• Stagnation into possibility

So what if we stopped managing appraisals, and started leading them?
With presence. With honesty. With care.

Because our teams don't just want feedback.
They want to be seen.
And that starts with us.