The Work Buzz's Latest News: Can we really revamp performance reviews? |
Posted: 03 Mar 2011 10:43 AM PST  Performance reviews have gained a reputation as a necessary evil in many workplaces. Whether you're a teacher at a school, a spreadsheet guru in a corporation or a manager at a grocery store, your performance is assessed by your boss at some point in the year. It's just the way businesses work. But does it have to be?If you'll recall, we recently discussed how to improve your performance review, both as the boss and as the employee. Specificity, we explained, is what makes a review worthwhile. "You did a good job" might be nice to hear, but it's meaningless if you don't know what you did well or how you can replicate that success in the coming year. Author Samuel A. Culbert agrees. As the author of "Get Rid of the Performance Review! How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing — and Focus on What Really Matters," Culbert makes the case for a complete revamp of performance reviews in an op-ed in The New York Times. He writes: "In my years studying such reviews, I've learned that they are subjective evaluations that measure how 'comfortable' a boss is with an employee, not how much an employee contributes to overall results. They are an intimidating tool that makes employees too scared to speak their minds, lest their criticism come back to haunt them in their annual evaluations. They almost guarantee that the owners — whether they are taxpayers or shareholders — will get less bang for their buck." Your criticism of reviews might be harsher than this (if you've ever received what felt like an unjustly negative one) or more favorable (if your bonus has ever benefitted greatly from a positive one). Yet, Culbert's assertion that these reviews intimidate workers is difficult to disprove. Ask workers whether or not they carefully weigh their words during reviews and throughout the year for fear of managerial retaliation. I suspect they will answer with a resounding yes. That's not to say reviews are completely useless. They can be helpful, harmful or useless – which can be said of many aspects of professional life. These evaluations, if carried out correctly, can help workers see where they have room to improve and where they excel. In an ideal world, performance reviews are opportunities to actually improve performance. Culbert throws out this idea: "It's something I call the performance preview. Instead of top-down reviews, both boss and subordinate are held responsible for setting goals and achieving results. No longer will only the subordinate be held accountable for the often arbitrary metrics that the boss creates. Instead, bosses are taught how to truly manage, and learn that it's in their interest to listen to their subordinates to get the results the taxpayer is counting on. "Instead of the bosses merely handing out A's and C's, they work to make sure everyone can earn an A. And the word goes out: 'No more after-the-fact disappointments. Tell me your problems as they happen; we're in it together and it's my job to ensure results.'" Sure, this is a great idea – in theory. But your company has to adopt this approach in order for both you and your boss to be held accountable. Otherwise you'll still be the only one being held accountable. Naturally, you can forward the NYT article to your boss, talk to her about the "performance preview" method, or drop a note in the company's suggestion box. But chances are you're not looking at an overnight change. Instead, your best option is to implement some of these ideas into your existing review process. You can use some of Culbert's approach to your advantage – even without telling your boss. 1. Define success and failure on your own terms Your boss will evaluate you however he wants to, but you can frame your achievements on your own terms. A lot of work can't be measured by sales or invoices. Instead, keep a list of positive feedback you've received from customers, clients, colleagues and anyone else. When you say, "I think I've had an excellent year," you can show proof that others agree with you. 2. Check in with your boss throughout the year Don't be a pest who is always asking for your boss' approval – that will come back to haunt you in a review. However, don't stay silent all year, either. If you don't occasionally ask your boss for feedback on a project or your overall performance, then you will be blindsided when review time arrives. If your boss is receptive, ask during your review if you can go ahead and schedule another brief meeting for two or three months from now. 3. Relate your performance to your boss Let's be honest: Most of us don't care about anything until it affects us directly. Make your boss care about your goals by tying them to her. "If I can do X, then it will bring in Y, which would make it easier for you to do Z." Like it or not, bosses are extremely busy, and they need an incentive to add your needs to their to-do list. So, readers, what do you think of Culbert's "performance preview?" Is it pie-in-the-sky fantasy? Is it a legitimate alternative to reviews? Do you see it actually being implemented in workplaces? |
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