I’ve mentioned W. Edwards Deming in earlier posts. We share a dislike for performance reviews, that annual rite of passage that companies use to justify the shitty raises that they’re about to dole out.  Samuel A. Culbert of the Wall Street Journal agrees with Deming, and explains why in this article:

Yes, Everyone Really Does Hate Performance Reviews

Culbert says:

This corporate sham is one of the most insidious, most damaging, and yet most ubiquitous of corporate activities. Everybody does it, and almost everyone who’s evaluated hates it. It’s a pretentious, bogus practice that produces absolutely nothing that any thinking executive should call a corporate plus.

I agree.  In most of companies where I’ve toiled, employees are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with a one equating to a “don’t-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-ass-on-the-way-out”, to a five, where the sun actually shines out of your asshole (though I’ve never actually witnessed this feat).  Most employees fall somewhere in between.  So, by eliminating 2 of the 5 choices, you just lump everyone into a pile of mediocrity.

Culbert talks about the havoc these reviews cause.  In my company, we do a self-assessment, in the form of a computer file, which is then reviewed by our supervisor.  My supervisor, who doesn’t use the data for anything, usually asks, “Did you fill everything out?”, and then approves the form without even reading it.  Talk about a waste of time and energy.

I think a better alternative would be a focus on employee development.  I think they had a word for it in the olden days: mentoring.  If you want to develop good employees, why not take some time to “show them the ropes”?  Take an employee under your wing.  Really show them what it takes to get to the next level.  Yes, this actually requires that the manager do some managing.  Not everything good can come out of a computer.  Culbert offers his suggestion for a better way:

If you’re a boss, and your subordinate isn’t succeeding, something is broken here. Doing more of the same isn’t going to cut it. It’s now time for you to ask, “What do you need from me to deliver what we are both on the firing line to produce?” And just as important, it’s time for you to listen to the answer.

Asking and listening. Imagine that. It’s called a conversation, and it’s a rarity in workplaces today. Only by hearing what the other person thinks, and putting that person’s actions in the appropriate context, can you actually see what the person is saying and doing — and how together you can get where the company needs you to go.

 It’s time to move beyond emails, to get back to the basics of face-to-face contact.  If you want to teach a child how to tie their shoelaces, you don’t send them to a website; you sit down next to them, and show them how it’s done.  The same applies to your employees.  Take the time to show them; it shows that you actually give a crap about their success.

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