Surface Ripples

Should We Ditch “Traditional” Performance Reviews?

Performance reviews can turn into the bane of one’s life either as an appraisee or appraiser. 

As leaders, part of our job is to encourage our team to be the “best they can”.  Equally, anyone with ambition wants to improve their performance and make themselves more valuable.  Yes, there are people who are “happy where they are” but others want to see how far they can push their personal boundaries.

The problem with performance reviews was that they’ve been through a cycle of being: 

• Annual events to…
• Quarterly events to… 
• One-on-one periodic sessions

To make things more complex, there’s a feeling that the more complex the performance review process is, the more “scientific” it must be.  From performance metrics to behavioural trait assessments to 360° peer reviews, everything is thrown into the proverbial pot.  This makes them an ordeal for both appraisers and appraisees. 

What finally seems to matter in most cases is whether the appraisee “gets on” with their peers, their juniors, their bosses and their bosses’ bosses.  The risk here is that competence becomes less important as people spend more time “fudging” their results and playing politics.

The move now seems to be more towards a more organic, practical process of on-the-spot feedback positive and negative), acknowledging success in team meetings and through company email or private check-in when needed.  Some feel that this makes them faster, more honest and connects them more as a team whilst at the same time freeing them up for more actual work.

How the process described above operates, I don’t know. I suspect there still must be a degree of “getting on” with others but, at the very least, one doesn’t have to wait until the end of the year to receive a potentially “nasty surprise” when one thinks one has done well but it turns out that nobody else (for whatever reason) is of the same opinion.

Is the “traditional performance appraisal” a relic of the past?  In some ways, perhaps yes. However, appraisal is still very much a live topic.  My view?  If the team enjoys working together and produces results, they’re effective and that deserves a good appraisal. 

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. 

Labels: Career, Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 15:40