Appraisals That Bite
- Details
At the weekend, anyone who follows me on Twitter will have noted I gave a rather bland one word comment (that word would be ‘interesting’) on a blog post by Luis Gonçalves – The Myth Of Organization Improvement Using Performance Appraisals. Luis asked me to expand on my one word – so I promised to write the blog post that you are currently reading.
A little later I’m going to get into what I think of the appraisal mechanism and why, but first why that one word comment of ‘Interesting’. The first reason I found the article interesting was because, although I knew the roots of appraisal reviews, I didn't KNOW the roots of appraisal reviews! Anyone who has talked management style with me or visited one of the servant leadership courses I’ve either presented or assisted on will be aware of most of what is about to follow. Like most I was aware that the appraisal mechanism – the carrot and stick approach was rooted in manufacturing industries, but I can honestly say that if I read the roots as Luis lays them out back to Ford and Taylor then I had glossed over it and not retained the information. The second reason I found the article interesting was that Luis’ summary at the end of the article aligns with my view of the appraisal mechanism, so I would like to share why I am cynical of appraisal mechanisms.