The term “performance review” elicits many reactions. One colleague shared with me, “The first time my supervisor came to do my annual performance review, I got sick at my stomach.” One of my own frustrating experience came when my supervisor took the occasion of our annual review to let me know he was not happy about something that happened six months earlier! He had never mentioned the occurrence to me before then.
For many of us, the annual performance review or evaluation has been a “come to Jesus moment” that we would rather avoid. We need a new approach to employee performance review that involves not simply evaluation of the individual’s activities during a period of time. We need to find a way to encourage personal development, assess the support the person is receiving, and consider his or her role in the success of the organization. Churches should be leading this effort, but they usually are lagging.
Traditional performance management was built upon several concepts. First, the supervisor or manager set the goals for the individual. Second, the supervisor offered infrequent, irregular feedback and occasional recognition related to performance. Third, there was an annual review that both the individual and the supervisor dreaded.
Compassionate accountability employs a very different model. First, the supervisor and the individual work together to develop goals that benefit both the organization and the employee. Second, goals are not only collaborative but are flexible based on changing conditions. Third, the supervisor and the individual have ongoing conversations, timely recognition is provided, and informal dialogue takes place regularly. Fourth, if there is an annual review, it is a two-way conversation, a dialogue that considers not only the employee’s work, but the environment and culture of the organization.
This change in paradigm requires revisiting several suppositions. For example, the employee must be seen as a responsible individual who understands and wants to further mission of the organization. At the same time, the employee perceives that the organization provides an environment where he or she not only produces desired outcomes but has the opportunity for personal development. This approach also calls upon the manager or supervisor be a coach—challenging, clarifying, and supporting the employee.
This paradigm shift will be difficult for many, but if we believe the potential for both service and growth are essential in the life of the individual, we are called to embrace this opportunity.
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