Comments on: The dirty secrets of performance review http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review Career Advice At The Intersection Of Business And Technology Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:00:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: 1st page killer earningsreview http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-19448 1st page killer earningsreview Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:22:11 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-19448 Thanks for this information. Thanks for this information.

]]> By: Wil http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-19159 Wil Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:31:45 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-19159 sounds like the last company i worked for, one of the bigger ones that had layoffs last year. 1000 call center employees. everything was already decided long before the reviews were due. sounds like the last company i worked for, one of the bigger ones that had layoffs last year. 1000 call center employees. everything was already decided long before the reviews were due.

]]> By: Wil http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14139 Wil Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:31:45 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14139 sounds like the last company i worked for, one of the bigger ones that had layoffs last year. 1000 call center employees. everything was already decided long before the reviews were due. sounds like the last company i worked for, one of the bigger ones that had layoffs last year. 1000 call center employees. everything was already decided long before the reviews were due.

]]> By: satgarg http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14032 satgarg Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:44:42 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14032 The story is absolute truth. <br>i have seen the exactly similar thing happening first hand in one of the worlds largest companies in India. It is a fact that has eluded the HR departments and they are always going bonkers why the attrition rate is going high.<br>Due to the alleged malpractices in the said company the management decided to have an outside agency - the world famous Gallup" do the survey to find out the way forward. As expected, the true picture emerged in the scores.<br><br>See the beauty if Indian minds!!!! It was very famously concluded twice that the participants - qualified engineers and mangers, assumed to be the brain bank of the company, one of the biggest pillars of its success were not able to comprehend the questions in the survey and thus gave faulty raitings. <br><br>And the practice continues.<br>Long live Indian corporate sector!!! some times we feel it is more disgusting than the government sector. Atleast they dont maintain false pretences. The story is absolute truth.
i have seen the exactly similar thing happening first hand in one of the worlds largest companies in India. It is a fact that has eluded the HR departments and they are always going bonkers why the attrition rate is going high.
Due to the alleged malpractices in the said company the management decided to have an outside agency – the world famous Gallup” do the survey to find out the way forward. As expected, the true picture emerged in the scores.

See the beauty if Indian minds!!!! It was very famously concluded twice that the participants – qualified engineers and mangers, assumed to be the brain bank of the company, one of the biggest pillars of its success were not able to comprehend the questions in the survey and thus gave faulty raitings.

And the practice continues.
Long live Indian corporate sector!!! some times we feel it is more disgusting than the government sector. Atleast they dont maintain false pretences.

]]> By: WilsonS http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14008 WilsonS Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:17:05 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14008 I completely agree with all your points here, however IMHO, its the immediate boss who matters the most in this entire relationship, period!<br><br>If you want to excel, do WHAT HE THINKS is right, and you will be superb or else kicked out, as simple as that. I completely agree with all your points here, however IMHO, its the immediate boss who matters the most in this entire relationship, period!

If you want to excel, do WHAT HE THINKS is right, and you will be superb or else kicked out, as simple as that.

]]> By: Carlomez http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14005 Carlomez Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:48:10 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14005 I've done a lot of performance reviews on both sides of the fence (as an employee and as a manager).<br>While it's true that the decision is usually taken before the performance review meeting, I wouldn't dismiss the meeting itself and the preparation of the perfomane review documentation as a complete waste of time: it's a good opportunity to compare your self-evaluation with the manager's evaluation of your work. If there is a good alignment during the whole year, starting with clear goal settings and following with regular one-to-one meetings along the whole year, there shouldn't be any big surprise at performance review.<br>Especially if you are new to the team or you have a new boss, don't rely only on the performance review process: it's super important to request feedback and to check your manager opinion/evaluation on a regular basis, and if you want to be a good manager, you should always set clear goals, always give both positive and negative feedbacks, check the goal attainement status at least every 6 months and update the goals if needed.<br>Also, don't rely only on the official goals in you scorecard: especially with a new manager, the actual expectations might be quite different and you don't want to wait for the performance review to find out.<br>Talking about ranking, it should be clear that there are two components in the performance evaluation of each employee: absolute results (missed/met/exceeded goals) and relative results, that is how well he/she did compared with other team members and, through "calibration meetings" compared also with other teams.<br><br>Carlo I've done a lot of performance reviews on both sides of the fence (as an employee and as a manager).
While it's true that the decision is usually taken before the performance review meeting, I wouldn't dismiss the meeting itself and the preparation of the perfomane review documentation as a complete waste of time: it's a good opportunity to compare your self-evaluation with the manager's evaluation of your work. If there is a good alignment during the whole year, starting with clear goal settings and following with regular one-to-one meetings along the whole year, there shouldn't be any big surprise at performance review.
Especially if you are new to the team or you have a new boss, don't rely only on the performance review process: it's super important to request feedback and to check your manager opinion/evaluation on a regular basis, and if you want to be a good manager, you should always set clear goals, always give both positive and negative feedbacks, check the goal attainement status at least every 6 months and update the goals if needed.
Also, don't rely only on the official goals in you scorecard: especially with a new manager, the actual expectations might be quite different and you don't want to wait for the performance review to find out.
Talking about ranking, it should be clear that there are two components in the performance evaluation of each employee: absolute results (missed/met/exceeded goals) and relative results, that is how well he/she did compared with other team members and, through “calibration meetings” compared also with other teams.

Carlo

]]> By: GeekMBA360 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14003 GeekMBA360 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:33:44 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14003 Thanks for the book recommendation, Andrew! I haven't read this book yet. Will check it out. Thanks for the book recommendation, Andrew! I haven't read this book yet. Will check it out.

]]> By: Andrew Wang http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-14002 Andrew Wang Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:29:53 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-14002 I remember reading something similar in "Career Warfare" by David F. D'Alessandro<br><br><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Career-Warfare/David-F-DAlessandro/e/9780071417587/?itm=7" rel="nofollow">http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Career-Warfare...</a><br><br>Might be a good book for you to review in a future post. I remember reading something similar in “Career Warfare” by David F. D'Alessandro

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Career-Warfare…

Might be a good book for you to review in a future post.

]]> By: BruceOlsen http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-13999 BruceOlsen Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:35:53 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-13999 I've been part of pointless review exercises on both sides of the fence.<br><br>As a manager I was part of several stacked ranking exercises--never by choice. Interestingly, the rankings were "adjusted" by each higher level of management, so even the minimal value there was to the first ranking was lost by the time the EVP got the list (each of the rankings of a couple of thousand people were merged, believe it or not). <br><br>After a much-needed management change directly above me, we created a much better evaluation system for our group of about 30 software developers. It made clear what expectations were and gave feedback to each individual how well they met expectations. But we still went through the stacking, and gave out bonuses based on that. <br><br>I've also been evaluated using very formal (computer-based) systems, with multiple categories of objectives and very detailed evaluation criteria. There was even space for the employee to "rebut" points s/he disagreed with. But the manager made it clear he was merely going through the motions, and wasn't interested in any upward feedback.<br><br>As other commenters have said, one needs to understand the political structure and work within it. Not "play politics", since those who live solely by politics most often (though not always) die by politics, but be sure you reflect your genuine accomplishments upward (more than 1 level). Take on key projects and put in extra time on them, but don't grandstand. <br><br>But if (as at some places I've been) it really all comes down to "who you know", think about jumping before you get pushed. Even if you do get into the inner circle, it may well not save you (I've seen it), and you'll be shown the door without having had any big accomplishments to trumpet to your next employer.<br><br>With apologies to the late Walter Cronkite,... "That's the way it is". I've been part of pointless review exercises on both sides of the fence.

As a manager I was part of several stacked ranking exercises–never by choice. Interestingly, the rankings were “adjusted” by each higher level of management, so even the minimal value there was to the first ranking was lost by the time the EVP got the list (each of the rankings of a couple of thousand people were merged, believe it or not).

After a much-needed management change directly above me, we created a much better evaluation system for our group of about 30 software developers. It made clear what expectations were and gave feedback to each individual how well they met expectations. But we still went through the stacking, and gave out bonuses based on that.

I've also been evaluated using very formal (computer-based) systems, with multiple categories of objectives and very detailed evaluation criteria. There was even space for the employee to “rebut” points s/he disagreed with. But the manager made it clear he was merely going through the motions, and wasn't interested in any upward feedback.

As other commenters have said, one needs to understand the political structure and work within it. Not “play politics”, since those who live solely by politics most often (though not always) die by politics, but be sure you reflect your genuine accomplishments upward (more than 1 level). Take on key projects and put in extra time on them, but don't grandstand.

But if (as at some places I've been) it really all comes down to “who you know”, think about jumping before you get pushed. Even if you do get into the inner circle, it may well not save you (I've seen it), and you'll be shown the door without having had any big accomplishments to trumpet to your next employer.

With apologies to the late Walter Cronkite,… “That's the way it is”.

]]> By: GeekMBA360 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-performance-review/comment-page-1#comment-13998 GeekMBA360 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:27:00 +0000 http://www.GeekMBA360.com/?p=845#comment-13998 The particular story I wrote in the blog post didn't take place in Nortel. :-) But, based on the overwhelming feedback I received from fellow hard-working professionals, similar stories are happening in a lot of corporations, big or small! The particular story I wrote in the blog post didn't take place in Nortel. :-) But, based on the overwhelming feedback I received from fellow hard-working professionals, similar stories are happening in a lot of corporations, big or small!

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