I have an employee who needs more then limited supervision, does not follow through,does not seem to retain information, has poor attendance, can’t get his work done, is easily distracted, can’t seem to focus,cannot multitask...he is good with branches/customers and has good writing skills. It's appraisal time and I need suggestioins for how I can put this in his review and not sound compltely negative. I think he does have potential but needs a LOT of guidance and help setting priorities. thanks...

Is it possible to focus on the most critical issues that need to be improved? Like the top 3 and then move on to others when those are under control? I once had to fill out an annual review for someone that was in a similar situation and that is what I did.

That is a good suggestion....thank you.

That is a good suggestion....thank you.

You might consider giving this employee a skills assessment, takes 10 minutes, and both of you review the results. This tool will give you opportunity to explore weaknesses and discuss improvements.

Another approach would be to have the employee prepare what they feel are their 'areas for improvement'. You can review this in advance of your review meeting and discuss the ones you want to discuss. This way the employ feels they are bringing up the areas for improvement. Don't expect them to list all you see but even a few gives you a platform to have somewhat of an equal discussion.

Another thought: Why are you so determined to keep this employee? Is it really hard for you to find another? If this is the case then I would suggest you consider hiring a personal coach for this person. A coach can take your insights and connect them to an improvement plan for the employee.