the power of subliminal messages

Apr 7, 2008 at 10:03 PM
7 comments

Maybe if I wear this a few times at work during the year, I'll finally get "Exceeds Expectations".

Expectations

7 comments

Tags:

Comments

LOL..let me know if it works for you! I think I could tattoo it on my forehead and still not get the message across.

I have this stamped across every performance review I ever got and do you know where it got me?? That's right. LOL.

I am completely disenchanted with performance reviews (I used to be about 75% disenchanted). the turning point came when a manager let it slip that the department, hell, the entire company, had an allocated number of "exceed expectations", "meet expectations", etc. before the performance review process even began. it didn't matter if a dept. had 80% super-high-performers and another department didn't have any: every department had to have 20% "exceed", 45% "meet" and so on.

pure bullshit, really.

I've always known them to be pure BS. First, at my last job, it was purely based on my boss's dislike of me and it forced me to leave that job. My current one is much better, although I'd rather have Sortaboss do my reviews instead of Boss. I know the results would be similar, but better with Sortaboss. And this year, Boss gave me an excuse like you describe above - that there could only be so many level promotions each year, etc. In my opinion (that I came to after a few things happened), he either didn't ask for me on purpose, or he forgot and didn't want to admit it.

it does suck, doesnt' it? but if I remember correctly, you did get a ?promotion? last year, and your company may have some bullshit rule about the pace of promotions, etc.
I know you and I and all of us know it is pure politics and bureaucracy, but it is ohsohard to not let it affect you somehow.

a perfect example (unfortunately for you, IG) of why performance reviews are meaningless. it is the top honchos who decide * who goes or stays, and the performance review is often not even considered in the decision.

* I'm being kind. for all I know, they draw straws or go in alphabetical order, or by astrological sign.

Last year I got a supersecret raise midyear, which no one is allowed to know about because they don't happen often. They go to deserving employees, yada yada. So yes, that was partly used "against" me, if you want to call it that. Two years ago I leveled up and the raise was piddly. The reason for that was that my new level qualified for a bonus at the end of the year so the raise was less - they pretty much balanced each other out. Sortaboss thinks I deserve to level up again, and if I worked with him more than Boss, I would be well within my rights to ask to switch advisers.

Really, I'm always grateful for whatever I get, in any way, but this little thing has been sticking in my mind and I plan to talk to Boss about it more when we do this year's planning session.

I don't get too worked up over office politics if I can help it because it's going to be the same wherever you go, and I do really like the company I'm with.