Best Performance Appraisal Books: We Review the Top 4

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Is the dreaded performance appraisal period around the corner?

If you’re like the rest of us, figuring out the right words to say and how to say it is impossibly hard. And if you’re a manager, you not only have to do this perhaps 20+ times, but also you’ll have to figure out how to convey negative feedback without hurting people’s feelings.

Fortunately, in a world where people are consistently giving and receiving feedback, performance phrase books can help! These books help by jogging the reader’s memory with example phrases that are categorized by topic and ability.

If you’ve never used a phrase book before, you’re missing out. These books have sold millions of copies; we’ve reviewed four of the best selling performance appraisal phrase books to tell you which ones are best.

This growing market is an opportunity for help in these timely processes and some books are taking advantage of it, selling millions of copies. Just take a quick scan of Amazon’s top results, there are a few favorites among the individuals seeking assistance in the performance phrase arena. Here are the top resources of 2019:

Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals: A Guide to Successful Evaluations

With over 1.5 million copies sold, it isn’t hard to see why Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals tops our list. This book by James E Neal, is filled with more than 3,800 short, helpful phrase suggestions.

The table of contents outlines countless categories that are sure to help people across all job titles and levels. Attractive selling features include its portable size, ability to lay flat and how it allows customers to quickly locate the examples they are after though topic specification.

2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews: Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases That Really Get Results

Another contender with over 150 5-Star ratings on Amazon is a phrasebook by Paul Falcone. Available for free in the eBook version, this helpful tool guides HR professionals and managers in their process to come up with the right words and phrases.

It even includes action items for those crucial next steps after the review process. Falcone sells this book as an instrumental piece in not only the review process but also in creating job descriptions, monitoring performance and giving feedback year-round.

Performance Appraisals and Phrases For Dummies

Most individuals have at some point come across a “For Dummies” book. These convenient books break down tough topics into easy to understand examples and information. This one by Ken Lloyd on performance appraisals and phrases is no different. With over 3,200 phrase suggestions categorized under useful topics, readers can quickly get the information they are looking for.

The phrases in this book are a bit more detailed than the previous books and the beginning provides additional coaching and situational suggestions. Unlike other phrase books, these phrases are categorized under various levels such as excellent, fully competent, marginal and unsatisfactory. Overall, a useful guide for managers and all individuals spending time in the performance appraisal process.

Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews

The authors of this performance review book know that a great review is change-driven and meaningful. By including information on planning reviews, setting goals and the overall review process, the authors have hit made a hit.

Customers appreciate how they build on the idea of simple phrases by providing self-evaluation suggestions and calls to action. With 74 different skill areas, this book is designed to help you tackle everything from worded assessments to face-to-face interviews. Don’t forget to check out the appendix which includes examples of common managerial and employee mistakes during the performance review process.

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