I am sure many of us have experienced this inexplicable sense of anguish, desperation and “I am not good enough” that follow the days after a performance review. It doesn’t matter how many positive and how many “great”, “excels in”, and “could not do without you” comments you get. We always focus on that one “needs improvement” or “could do better” comment that is probably in there.

I think that anybody who is contemplating or preparing a Performance Review take a look at some of the following post on my blog about an article in the Wall Street Journal by Dr. Samual Culbert, a Professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
http://manufacturingintelligence.blogspot.com/2008/10/death-to-performance-review.html

The premise of the article is that it has nothing to do with your performance.

“It isn’t, “How are we going to work together as a team?” It’s, “How are you performing for me?” It’s not our joint performance that’s at issue. It’s the employee’s performance that’s a problem.”

I believe that the practice of performance reviews is in fact a symptom of lacking leadership skills. In this modern age we love the new shiny tools, and the diet pill. There is no substitute to the social interaction and personal sacrifice that a leader needs to exert in order to create a winning team. Dr. Culbert points out, which is so much in line with my experiences – it brings a chill to my spine:

“Instead of energizing individuals, they are dispiriting and create cynicism. Instead of stimulating corporate effectiveness, they lead to just-in-case and cover-your-behind activities that reduce the amount of time that could be put to productive use. Instead of promoting directness, honesty and candor, they stimulate inauthentic conversations in which people cast self-interested pursuits as essential company activities.”

Sincerely,
Leroy Hurt
http://yourunfinishedbusiness.net/blogazine.aspx http://yourunfinishedbusiness.net/default.aspx