Comments on: Previous Dilemma:How can I make a difference with my performance reviews?

By: Robby Slaughter

Robby Slaughter — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:10:13 +0000

The process of employment should be about converting assignments into responsibilities. Once an employee has ownership over a given task, they just need guidance and encouragement.

In order to be able to have effective goals and meaningful results, there has be to some objective measurement. You can reward people for meeting deadlines, for catching errors and for expanding business.

By: Hank Stroll

Hank Stroll — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:44:51 +0000

@Lunell, great idea. Can you expand on it? Maybe brainstorm a bit for a new label for the concept? What structure would you suggest?

By: Lunell Haught

Lunell Haught — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:54:36 +0000

I appreciate the ‘performance reviews are a terrible idea – perhaps just the (poor) name we use for a really good conversation about what someone has done that relates to the job description, and what the person is going to do in the future – forward thinking.

By: Hank Stroll

Hank Stroll — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:22:13 +0000

@Robby, great comment. I like the concept, but I can’t envision what it would look like. How would you provide the needed feedback to employees?

By: Robby Slaughter

Robby Slaughter — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:54:16 +0000

While I agree with the general sentiment of this article, the tone isn’t nearly strong enough. Performance reviews are a terrible idea. Business process improvement often arises from recognizing that traditions may do more harm than good.

The fundamental problem with performance reviews is obvious from that title: they are analysis of what occurred in the past. Unless your company has a time machine, you can’t change the past. We need to focus on what we are doing today and tomorrow, not work we once completed.

We should use meetings to mutually set goals and mutually determine rewards. The review process, then, is merely one of computation. The degree to which you met targets affects compensation and promotion. We don’t need to review, we need to plan and do.

@robbyslaughter