This book is called Stirring the Pot for good reason. Think about this: a really good stew is made up of excellent ingredients, but if you don't stir the pot at least occasionally, the final product will probably come out with some ingredients stuck to the bottom of the pot, and some at the top may not even be cooked through. You need to stir periodically so that the stew comes out even better than the individual ingredients that went into it. The same holds true for working in a department or office in which you supervise more than one employee, and you are the person designated to evaluate their performance. Your organization wants to survive and thrive in a very competitive world; therefore, your employees need to perform to the best of their abilities. And you are the one in charge of the stirring You must evaluate employees who report to you and you are faced with one who is seriously underperforming. This handbook offers suggestions, processes, sample memos, options for organizing the process of trying to save an employee, options for looking at your organization's existing employee appraisal system, or at worst, options for how to handle a dismissal.