What is the most effective way to avoid negative surprises during a performance evaluation?

A) Make sure an employee understands job requirements.
B) Tie salary increases to performance reviews.
C) Tie promotions to performance reviews.
D) Tie performance to organizational values.
E) Provide consistent and regular feedback on performance.

Answer: E
Explanation: E) The worst possible outcome in an annual review is a negative surprise, such as when an employee has been working toward different goals than the manager expects or has been underperforming throughout the year but didn't receive any feedback or improvement coaching along the way. To avoid negative surprises, managers should provide regular feedback and coaching as needed throughout the year if employee performance falls below expectations.