Next Level Work Bits is a hand-picked selection of the latest and greatest content about performance management.
Economist (The World in 2016 Series) – Big Brother management: Farewell performance reviews, hello data systems
In 2016 office employees will no longer have to submit themselves to the cumbersome process in which they set a dozen meaningless goals and were rated on obscure things like “displays pro-active inclusivity”. No longer will anyone have to endure annual discussions of how they are doing—with the inevitable demotivation and disillusionment that follows. The whole bureaucratic, backward-looking charade will be over.
According to the Economist, 2016 will be the year when technology finally assumes its rightful place in our work environments. The article does a good job at examining the pro’s and con’s of Big Brother in the workplace. Although I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest that “every employee will be monitored every second,” the mentors vs. machines conversation will become more relevant as technology disrupts traditional HR practices.
Mackenzie Fogelson – Why (and how) we Traded Performance Reviews for a Peer Feedback System
Different from more traditional performance reviews, the one-on-one gathering is not a discussion of what we want them to do. Each team member already knows what they need to be working on and has already turned their peer feedback into action. So instead of putting the pressure on the “manager” to deliver performance-related feedback and the team member building up anxiety about what their manager is going to say about their progress, the team member comes equipped with the initiative they’ve already taken.
Is it possible to transform performance evaluations without implementing a specialized tool? Mackenzie Fogelson, CEO of an online community and brand-building company (@mackwebteam), has written a thorough article on substituting performance reviews for a peer feedback system through identifying individual strengths and vision, embracing ground rules, and establishing guidelines for a new system. The best part? You don’t need to splurge on a fancy application to try this method — all you need is Google Docs and determination. There a lot of pro tips and examples in this article.
Chris Ventura – Employee engagement, the ego and the flourishing of life
Aristotle once said that everyone seeks Eudaimonia (Flourishing). A simple example — A human being can’t truly flourish if they are physically so unhealthy it prevents them from having direct experiences in life. Similarly, An idea can’t truly flourish if the foundation of the environment that it is raised in, is so limiting. Where the human beings behind the idea, are so drained from the approval processes and up the chain communication, that new ideas becomes less about what is innovative but more about what can ‘make it through’.
Chris Ventura has written a wonderful article on empowering employees by being mindful of the human desire to grow. Ventura provides a wonderful take on employee engagement as a catalyst for authentic work relationships, as opposed to a way to control employees.
Dan Cable – Performance Evaluations: Gaussian Curve or Playing to Strengths?
Instead of hiring employees to optimize existing procedures, leaders need employees to help maximize business solutions. These employee contributions (innovation, creativity, sharing) are triggered by positive emotions (excitement, pride, and gratitude). Industrial revolution systems are built around negative emotions (like anxiety, fear, and envy). The emotions needed for competitive advantage have shifted.
Can Cable, Professor of Organisational Behavior at London Business School, has published an article comparing forced ranking with a strengths-based approach which focuses on employees’ values and skill sets, rather than internal competition. According to Dr. Cable, the need for a new performance evaluation model is simple — the old way of evaluating an employee’s contributions does not correlate with the knowledge-based, innovation economy that we have today.