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Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why They Backfire and What to Do Instead
Performance appraisals are used in the overwhelming majority of workplaces. Yet, most organizations that use appraisal--and a similar percentage of givers and receivers of appraisal--are dissatisfied with the process. Many are beginning to deeply question whether appraisal is necessary and consistent with the work culture espoused by progressive organizations. Abolishing Performance Appraisals provides an insightful, well documented look at the flaws of appraisal--including its destructive, unintended effects--and offers practical guidance to organizations that want to move on to more progressive approaches to coaching, feedback, development, and compensation.
While many books prescribe cures for appraisal, this is the first to focus exclusively on eliminating appraisal altogether and creating alternative, non-appraisal approaches based upon progressive and healthier assumptions about people. The authors expose and dispel the widely accepted myths and false assumptions that underlie common management strategies surrounding the five key functions of appraisal--coaching, feedback, development, compensation, and legal documentation. They then offer step-by-step practical guidance on implementing alternative non-appraisal strategies that deliver the objectives of each function. And they suggest ways to give supervisors and managers the freedom to choose for themselves the most effective ways of working with people.
Filled with real-life examples, resources, tools, and detailed practical advice, Abolishing Performance Appraisals is an entirely fresh and radically different view of performance appraisal and its functions that will help people start over and discover new and more effective approaches.
While many books prescribe cures for appraisal, this is the first to focus exclusively on eliminating appraisal altogether and creating alternative, non-appraisal approaches based upon progressive and healthier assumptions about people. The authors expose and dispel the widely accepted myths and false assumptions that underlie common management strategies surrounding the five key functions of appraisal--coaching, feedback, development, compensation, and legal documentation. They then offer step-by-step practical guidance on implementing alternative non-appraisal strategies that deliver the objectives of each function. And they suggest ways to give supervisors and managers the freedom to choose for themselves the most effective ways of working with people.
Filled with real-life examples, resources, tools, and detailed practical advice, Abolishing Performance Appraisals is an entirely fresh and radically different view of performance appraisal and its functions that will help people start over and discover new and more effective approaches.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2000
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277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 5, 2023
Ik stond te popelen om dit boek te lezen, want ik denk ook niet dat evaluatiegesprekken een goed idee zijn en al zeker niet wanneer ze gekoppeld zijn aan de verloning.
Ik hoopte dus om in dit boek interessante wetenschappelijke argumentatie te vinden.
Maar op pagina 85 duikt plots de psychoanalyst Alfred Adler op in de argumentatie alsof dat een betrouwbare bron is.
En op pagina 102 worden een aantal opleidingen gepromoot om van leidinggevenden betere coaches te maken:
Myers-Briggs en DISC worden daar zonder enige vorm van kritiek naar voor geschoven.
Op dat moment is het genoeg geweest. Daar ben ik gestopt met dit boek.
Spijtig... ik hoopte enkele interessante goed onderbouwde kritieken te lezen, maar het boek heeft hiermee bij mij alle geloofwaardigheid verloren.
Versta me niet verkeerd. Daarmee zeg ik niet dat evaluatiegesprekken wél een goed idee zijn. Ik zeg enkel dat dit boek je niet zal helpen om ertegen te argumenteren.
Ik hoopte dus om in dit boek interessante wetenschappelijke argumentatie te vinden.
Maar op pagina 85 duikt plots de psychoanalyst Alfred Adler op in de argumentatie alsof dat een betrouwbare bron is.
En op pagina 102 worden een aantal opleidingen gepromoot om van leidinggevenden betere coaches te maken:
Myers-Briggs en DISC worden daar zonder enige vorm van kritiek naar voor geschoven.
Op dat moment is het genoeg geweest. Daar ben ik gestopt met dit boek.
Spijtig... ik hoopte enkele interessante goed onderbouwde kritieken te lezen, maar het boek heeft hiermee bij mij alle geloofwaardigheid verloren.
Versta me niet verkeerd. Daarmee zeg ik niet dat evaluatiegesprekken wél een goed idee zijn. Ik zeg enkel dat dit boek je niet zal helpen om ertegen te argumenteren.
January 3, 2015
A great guide to moving towards a more productive work culture based on dialogue, rather than forced communication. I quite liked the format of this book where it laid out the 'conventional assumptions' and then presented better, assumptions which new models can be built off of.
January 15, 2014
Fantastic research that completely demolishes appraisals. Pity it's a tiny bit dry and long.
August 23, 2023
I love the ideas in this book and also struggled to read through to the end, as long and dry as many parts of it were. If I could have gone back and chosen how to engage with the information I would have looked for a much shorter summary of the core messages and some practical companion modules for how to apply the ideas to different roles/situations/constraints.
OTOH I'm now seeing appraisals, "merit pay", and personal accountability from whole new perspectives. I don't necessarily feel empowered to change anything about my company's appraisal policies *but* at least feel like I can see them from a more pragmatic frame of reference, making the best of my company's policies without stressing over the parts that never quite seem to work as intended.
OTOH I'm now seeing appraisals, "merit pay", and personal accountability from whole new perspectives. I don't necessarily feel empowered to change anything about my company's appraisal policies *but* at least feel like I can see them from a more pragmatic frame of reference, making the best of my company's policies without stressing over the parts that never quite seem to work as intended.
March 16, 2017
must read book for HR professional, Business Owner, and Top Leader in organization. Especially all the Management Practitioner who believe on human potential.
October 13, 2014
A fantastic read on why performance appraisals fail.
This book is very meaty with tons of content around the different faucets of Human Resources and Human Capital Management so if you're not interested in learning this topic or you are new to it - you may want to read some articles or blogs on the topic first.
Both authors go through the process of why it sucks to do a performance review but also why it has been around for so long and worked decades ago. They provide new solutions around consistent communcation, dropping mandated ratings and decoupling compensation and bonuses from the review process as it doesn't help us improve in our careers or help with performance management whatsoever.
Not the easiest read and it can get dry at times but very important for any knowledge worker to understand why this needs to change in the work place.
This book is very meaty with tons of content around the different faucets of Human Resources and Human Capital Management so if you're not interested in learning this topic or you are new to it - you may want to read some articles or blogs on the topic first.
Both authors go through the process of why it sucks to do a performance review but also why it has been around for so long and worked decades ago. They provide new solutions around consistent communcation, dropping mandated ratings and decoupling compensation and bonuses from the review process as it doesn't help us improve in our careers or help with performance management whatsoever.
Not the easiest read and it can get dry at times but very important for any knowledge worker to understand why this needs to change in the work place.
September 14, 2011
This is one of those books I wish I had read a long time ago. It discusses several topics that I have felt uneasy with but never really could put a finger on what exactly was the problem.
Recommended to anyone struggling with traditional appraisal methods. What I found especially good was that the book does not merely discuss appraisals as an isolated process but makes the case that organizations should start seeing employees as human beings instead of resources.
Recommended to anyone struggling with traditional appraisal methods. What I found especially good was that the book does not merely discuss appraisals as an isolated process but makes the case that organizations should start seeing employees as human beings instead of resources.
August 6, 2013
This has been one of the best books on the topic of people management and failures of the "traditional organisational management" that I have come across. This book is grounded in great expertise from people such as Peter Block, Ackoff, Deming... And it's not a straight critique of the existing systems but a deep analysis of the underlying assumptions and how they may be flawed and what could be the alternatives.
May 8, 2014
Get Rid of the Performance Review, by Samuel Culbert, is better.
Get Rid of the Performance Review!: How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing--and Focus on What Really Matters
Get Rid of the Performance Review!: How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing--and Focus on What Really Matters
September 14, 2011
This is an enlightening and informative book about traditional employee performance appraisals and how they don't do much to motiviate productive behavior. This is an excellent read for those who work with colleagues and have to do yearly performance appraisals. This is truly "outside the box" thinking and feel the ideas discussed in this book were refreshing.
August 22, 2014
Second book on this subject and about twenty articles later...I wish I had read this one first. The best so far. Presents the case and offers solutions! I was beginning to wonder if I was going to find that.
Three more books to go, determined to get them done in the next couple of weeks. I doubt they will be better than this thoughtful, well researched and well written book.
Three more books to go, determined to get them done in the next couple of weeks. I doubt they will be better than this thoughtful, well researched and well written book.
June 5, 2011
Too wordy, but a good argument. The answer is coaching. Mostly... I think it's also having a look at how the work "works" rather than how you think it works.
After reading this, move on to Freedom From Command and Control
After reading this, move on to Freedom From Command and Control
July 26, 2022
Redefined almost all my thinking on performance reviews. Wonderfuly complete annotations.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews