Asking an employee to write a self-appraisal using the company’s appraisal form is a common performance management practice. It’s a deceptively attractive technique. An employee’s self-appraisal and rating should give the manager valuable data on the quality of an individual’s performance. It previews what to expect when the two sit down to discuss the manager’s performance appraisal. A lazy manager might even get some good phrases (or even paragraphs) he can cut and paste into the official appraisal form. It looks like an all-around good idea. It’s not. It’s a bad idea and needs to be stomped out.