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 are those employees who will already be making suggestions for changes and improvements before you’ve finished talking. They will be brimming with options that they believe will help both of you achieve the results you want, finding tweaks and quick fixes to procedures and actions that will improve the situation.

Hummingbirds often assume that everything is negotiable. If that is not the case, you must be clear about what you need and what options are viable in achieving the desired results. Hummingbirds like to resolve things quickly so be prepared with your issues and concerns firmly and clearly in mind.

Next time you need to conduct a difficult performance evaluation, or any other type of difficult conversation, consider whether you are dealing with a Woodpecker, Parakeet, Owl, Ostrich, or Hummingbird. Understanding your employee’s behavior and how to respond to it will allow you to conduct performance evaluations that are useful, effective, and stress free.

For ongoing information, tips and advice about dealing with conflict at work, check out Gayle and Nabil’s free newsletter at http://harmoniousworkplace.com/

The most noticeable difference between these two kinds of hamsters is appearance. Sure they are both very cute and very small, but they also look very different. The Chinese dwarf hamster looks more mouse-like than other hamsters. He actually has a tiny tail (about an inch long). He’s also more slender than the Russian dwarf hamster, who sometimes looks more like a small hamster-ball. They’re both around the same size, about four inches long, although there are species of Russian hamsters that are much smaller (the Robo Russian dwarf hamster only grows to about two inches long).

One of my favorite parts about both Russian and Chinese hamsters are their fur patterns. They both have oh-so-magnificent colors and patterns, but they are very different from each other. The Chinese hamster usually has a black line that runs down his spine and a belly that is white. Other Chinese hamsters have spots of color distributed across their backs. Russian dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, come in a whole slew of colors and patterns. This is because they’ve been bred specifically as beautiful pets for many generations. They range in colors from white to sandy brown to dark grey and have a number of different patterns that also including a dominant stripe down the back similar to that of the Chinese hamster.

Not only do Russian dwarf hamsters differ in appearance from Chinese dwarf hamsters, they also have a great difference in behavior as well. One major difference between the two is that Russian dwarf hamsters are more social while Chinese hamsters are sometimes a bit anti social and have trouble with their roommates (especially the females!). But although they may be a bit less social, the Chinese hamsters are also less problematic in that you shouldn’t have to worry about them nipping at you. This is something that the Russian dwarf hamsters tend to do more.

As you can see, Chinese dwarf hamsters and Russian dwarf hamsters are both very similar and very different at the same time. They are both great pets to own and I would suggest you give them both a chance (although Chinese hamsters are harder to find s

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It can be stressful planning a trip, and as for lining up a pet care sitter with the help of a computer, pet lovers rarely understand how to go about finding the perfect companion for their “best friend”. Can they simply look through youtube videos, special interest sites, or should they enlist the services of a pet-sitting firm? How should they know someone’s qualifications and true nature and know that a certain candidate is a good fit? Perhaps the easiest and most reliable technique for finding someone you can trust is to use an online matching service that can fit the needs of families and sitters.

If you wish to find a pet care sitter – click here!

Step one, before committing yourself to a pet care sitter, you need to be clear about what the specific duties are as well as an accurate job description of the care provider. Such as will this person live in your home while you’re away? Can this person be trusted to visit and feed your pet at specified times? Does your pet require special treatment? Are you looking for someone who will look after your home as well as your pet? Come up with as detailed a list as possible that summarizes the functions that will be required of your care-giver.

Once you have defined the sitter duties, the next course of action is to find a method you can employ in order to acquire a desirable and appropriate sitter. Perhaps the most likely method is to sign up with a professional client-caregiver matching firm. Sitter placement agencies are capable of allowing you to take advantage of impressive listings of a wide range of candidates who offer their services as private helpers.

Finding a pet care sitter in your area can actually be a snap if open up google (or whatever search engine your choose) and list at least two items to find: your city; the kind of sitter you need; and (also often very helpful) the timeframe you need him or her. Going over the possibilities that have popped up for you to choose from, you take note of those that are likely to be the best match for you and your pet. Look at the advantages and disadvantages of each sitter and pick the sitter who is available when you need to leave your pet.

Specialized pet sitter agencies can equip you with at least these possibilities: a search of all the care providers by location, and to check out the agency’s online file on them, including a picture, some basic facts, details about prior work experience, etc. If they offer a free trial program, which typically have the limitation of a certain time-frame, register while you can you just may find a sitter who’s a perfect match for you and your pet.