In the broadest metaphorical sense, today’s quote describes judgment day, not to be faced until we’re gone. But in the business world, we’re expected to review someone’s performance on a regular basis. For most, it’s an annual review, something that in my experience is universally disliked by both the reviewer and the reviewee. I’ve found that this practice works best when done in near real time, so that the facts are clear and the message actionable: clear because it’s current and remembered, and actionable via either a commendation or a retraining and learning event. That way it’s over and everyone can move on, focused and smarter. The reviewer might even keep a diary of however many of each are delivered throughout the year to keep a cumulative positive vs. constructive record. In these, the objective should be to make sure that people realize and accept full and total responsibility of their actions – everything they’ve done or have not done. In re-reading these last few sentences, I again wonder why we’re expected to hold people more accountable for their actions at work than for their actions in every facet of life. Same for drug testing and background checks – if they’re important then do them at work and beyond. Because accountability should be for everything we have done or have not done today.
Hubert Selby Jr. (1928 – 2004): American writer (Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream), and educator (USC).
No comments:
Post a Comment