Problems at work...

I work in sales and my performance is measured against the value of the business I generate. During the recession sales have been thin on the ground. Our line manager is rather authoritarian and very much focused on results.

The lack of recognition of the work my colleagues and I are doing to keep close to customers during this difficult time is very de-motivating. To receive poor performance reviews because the sales simply aren't there seems to me to highlight a fundamental fault in our appraisal system but how do I go about getting it changed?

THE SOLUTION
It is your manager’s responsibility to manage your performance and address any issues in line with company policy. Therefore if you are not achieving your sales objective then it is right that your manager should be discussing your performance against this objective. One approach would be for your manager to acknowledge the efforts that have been made and then talk about the underperformance and the
reasons behind it. For example, is this an objective that everyone in the team is struggling to meet or are there individuals that have managed to meet their objectives? Your manager should agree with you the support that could be put in place to help you meet your objectives in the next reporting year.

If you have suggestions for improving the current appraisal system the best thing to do would be to discuss these informally with your manager, providing constructive feedback about the system and realistic solutions to address your concerns.

Michelle Scammell, Acas Helpline Adviser Bristol
• Acas guide on managing performance is available online at www.acas.org.uk/performance or call 08457 474747.

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