| According to Scott Adams, creator of
the comic strip (系列漫画) Dilbert, the annual performance review is "one of the
most frightening and weakening experiences in every employee's life". Adams'
stories and comic figures poke fun at the workplace, but his characterization of
people's feelings about the annual performance review has its serious side.
Although a recent study of 437 companies indicates that effective annual
performance reviews can help raise profits, most employees of those companies
hate them. In theory, annual performance reviews are constructive and positive interactions between managers and employees working together to attain maximum performance and strengthen the organization. In reality, they often create division, undermine morale, and spark anger and jealousy. Thus, although the object of the annual performance review is to improve performance, it often' has the opposite result. A programmer at an IT firm was stunned to learn at her annual performance review that she was denied a promotion because she wasn't a "team player." What were the data used to make this judgment? She didn't smile in the company photo. Although this story might sound as if it came straight out of Dilbert, it is a true account of one woman's experience. By following a few ideas and guidelines from industry analysis, this kind of {{U}}ordeal{{/U}} can be avoided: To end the year with a positive and useful performance review, managers and employees must start the year by working together to establish clear goals and expectations. It may be helpful to allow employees to propose a list of people associated with the company who will be in a good position to assess their performance at the end of the year; these people may be co-workers, suppliers, or even customer. Goals should be measurable but flexible, and everyone should sign off on the plan. By checking employees' progress at about nine months, managers can give them a chance to correct mistakes and provide guidance to those who need it before the year is out. When conducting the reviews, managers should highlight strengths and weaknesses during the past year and discuss future responsibilities, avoiding punishment of blame. In short, when employees leave their performance reviews, they should be focusing on what they can do better in the year ahead, not worrying about what went into their files about the past. |