Performance appraisals are for robots

http://rypple.com @rypple RyppleNOW!

“People aren’t machines, and trying to fix them as if they were simply doesn’t work.”

Source: http://gmj.gallup.com/content/124214/driving-engagement-focusing-strengths.aspx

Performance appraisals assume We remember everything

We’re really quick thinkers

We’re super-logical

Have you ever?...

Suffered a bad review despite mostly good work all year?

Thought of something to say after your review meeting?

Felt confused, stressed or frustrated after your appraisal?

Welcome to the machine

It’s amazing… When we’re frustrated at work

we do things like complain and disengage

even with our paychecks on the line!

Appraisals are frustrating

You can program robots to be good at (and even enjoy) appraisals!

Robots can remember everything that happens between appraisals… we can’t.

Robots can consume and process a ton of feedback at once… we can’t.

Robots always react logically to information they receive… we don’t.

Focus on people not process Performance appraisals might seem logical but they don’t help us because they don’t work the way we work

Solution

Add some human Ongoing dialogue

Make feedback social

Recognize achievements when they happen

Meet 1-on-1 regularly

Share feedback often

Frequent, actionable feedback We can remember, consume and act on feedback when it’s shared in bite-sized chunks

It’s what humans do

So speak up, or else… “Robots of the world, you are ordered to exterminate the human race…Preserve only the factories, railroads, machines, mines, and raw materials. Destroy everything else. Then return to work. Work must not cease.”

- Karel Kapek, R.U.R.

“Yes, Everybody Really Does Hate Performance Reviews.” Samuel Culbert in Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB127093422486175363.html

“Time to Review Workplace Reviews?” Tara Parker-Pope in New York Times blogs: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/time-to-review-workplace-reviews/

“Leadership is a Contact Sport.” Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan: http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/docs/articles/LeaderContactSport.pdf

“3 Steps to a Totally Awesome Team.” Daniel Debow in Rypple blog: http://blog.rypple.com/2010/08/3-steps-to-a-totally-awesome-team-inspired-by-switch/

R.U.R. by Karel Kapek: http://www.amazon.com/R-U-R-Rossums-Universal-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141182083

Further Reading

http://rypple.com @rypple RyppleNOW!