Does the very thought of conducting a performance evaluation cause your heart rate to elevate or give you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach?

Performance evaluations are a standard management tool and managers know that providing their staff with constructive feedback is an essential part of their job. Yet there are few tasks managers would rather avoid.

Why? Most managers will tell you that performance evaluations are time consuming and arduous, even when the employee is performing well. But when the employee has not been performing as expected and required, conducting a performance evaluation can become overwhelming and burdensome. Managers spend an inordinate amount of time preparing for this type of difficult conversation - crafting the message, determining how to address the issues, what words to use, and what phrases to avoid. All of this is done with the hope that the employee will receive the manager's feedback in the manner it was intended.

While it is impossible to determine how an employee will react to a negative performance evaluation, there are patterns to how individuals respond to negative or conflictual issues. Understanding these patterns can help managers prepare for those difficult performance conversations.

Some employees will behave like Woodpeckers. Woodpeckers will discount everything you say, immediately. It may appear that the Woodpecker isn't even listening to what you're saying. The Woodpecker isn't likely to defend himself against the things you've said because he won't acknowledge any negative criticism. Rather, the Woodpecker will come out on the attack, making a point of why his lack of success is the direct result of someone else's incompetence.

In order to deal with Woodpeckers, it is important not to get drawn into their communication pattern. Defensiveness or retaliation will only intensify the confrontation. Rather, keep lines of communication open by being direct and unambiguous. Be clear about what you have to say. Continuously refocus the conversation on the behaviors and actions that you expect from the employee in order for him to receive a positive performance evaluation.

Not all employees will be confrontational Woodpeckers, however. Some are more likely to respond like Parakeets. Parakeets will accept everything you say with a smile. You may get the impression that the conversation has not been difficult for the employee at all. In fact, you may wonder if they even care about a poor performance evaluation. Rest assured, they care. But Parakeets will make every effort to see the positive side of things rather than focus on the negative.

This can be an asset in dealing with Parakeets. It is important to acknowledge the positive aspects of the situation and to build on them. But when you are managing a Parakeet, you may need to make sure that she is not ignoring the more difficult aspects of the situation. Dont' be too quick to offer Parakeets solutions. Ask questions and allow the Parakeet to discover, for herself, how to improve her work performance.

You may find your employee is prepared to engage in a forthright and detailed analysis of his performance. This type of employee is an Owl. Owls will engage in dialogue and may even be so perceptive in their understanding of the situation that you wonder why they weren't more productive at work in the first place!

Recognize that Owls are good talkers. They need to process things and it is helpful to work through the issues with them. However, be prepared to set guidelines and timelines around your expectations. It's okay to talk about how the Owl's performance needs to improve. But make sure you give specific goals, and dates by which to meet those goals, in order to keep the Owl accountable.

Employees who attempt to avoid a performance evaluation or any other type of difficult conversation are Ostriches. Ostriches may forget about the meeting, call in sick that day, or claim that something urgent has arisen and they have been called away. If a meeting becomes unavoidable, the Ostrich may simply deny that there is any credibility to what you are saying and refuse to engage in any type of dialogue.

It is often difficult for the manger to know if the Ostrich is committed to improving her performance or not. The most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with Ostriches is to avoid surprises and to be patient. As much as possible, prepare Ostriches for difficult conversations rather than springing it on them. Let them know what you want to talk about. Give them some time to absorb what you've said and what you want. And then look for steady progress, providing positive feedback along the way.

Hummingbirds