Music: Tori Amos / Cool On Your Island
Mood: Annoyed
I've been reading a bit about performance appraisals, and one thing I've read is that the feedback shouldn't be a "surprise." Well today I got a chance to sit with my new boss, my boss's boss, and have them give me my "Mid-Year Review." It really wasn't a mid-year review or a performance appraisal. It was mostly a session to ask me why I was "disengaged" from my job and, "Here's what you can do to make it easier for me, and here are things you need to work on." I also got my hands slapped for IMing and texting. Ok, IMing... that's something EVERYONE in the company does. It's something we use as a communication tool! Same goes for texting. The only person I sent a text to today during work this morning was my coworker who hadn't made it to work yet.
I was also shown "notes" my previous boss wrote about me and I was caught completely off guard about a few things I read. Apparently, I asked my former boss too many questions and because of that, I was "below average" when it came to understanding the business processes.
What. The. Hell.
I guess that's why at Christmas when I was at home with my family, he called to ask me how to do a few things for both clients I work on. And I suppose that's also why I made myself available by IM AND PHONE to assist my coworker when I was supposed to be out on PTO, which turned into me being on the phone for FOUR HOURS one afternoon. But whatever, I sure will sit on my ass and miss the contractual agreements we have with the client so my boss won't have to answer my questions. No skin off my nose. It's not like I'll get fired. It takes FOREVER to fire someone.
And another thing that came as a surprise, is he thought I couldn't differentiate "personal" problems and "work" problems. I most certainly can differentiate, thank you! What he might have meant was I tend to read *into* things, which, I know is a fault of mine. But saying I mix them is incorrect. Guess that's what I get for getting personal with people. Trust me, that won't happen anymore.
For the record, I HATE performance reviews. It's backwards thinking to me in that it focuses too much on the past and puts no emphasis on the future. It has nothing to do with the business goals or mission, and its completely irrelevant to salary increases. Salary increases are a whole separate process outside of appraisals, but when was the last time anyone saw a poor performer get the big salary increase?
And one of the reasons I hate performance appraisals at my job is because it's a forced ranking, which is the lazy way out for managers. They get to *choose* who's number 1, 2, 3, 4... etc. and don't really have to go through the process of who is good at what; they already have a template for that. Forced rankings are so much like a bell curve, which means there WILL be an "exceptional" rating, all the way down to the "bottom 10%." So it will make me work just hard enough not to be in the bottom 10% and screw the "exceptional."
In my previous job, my one-on-one's and performance reviews were just the manager's monthly rant of things I wasn't doing right. "Here are your monthly numbers... you're ok, but you really need to do more. Here is your quality. You're ok, but I think you should be at ___" and this was something I heard every month. The only "rewards" this company gave me were kiddie attendance awards, like attendance wasn't already expected.
When I lived in Lubbock, my performance appraisals were NEVER this painful. I think it's San Antonio in general. Companies are just stupid here, or maybe it's the higher I climb in Corporate America (which I'm not very high at all), the dumber people get.
Needless to say I'm looking for another job. Internal jobs are a freaking joke. I think I've applied for like 6 or 7 jobs internally and have been qualified for all, even if it wasn't hardcore experience, it was theoretical training I received; however, I have been turned down for all. I'm feverishly looking outside the company, too... but most companies in San Antonio aren't interested in my abilities or schooling; they just want the experience. So I'm pretty screwed. I'm ready to move to Dallas or another business hub.
Well, enough rambling. Good night.
4 comments:
Good rant, this town needs to wake the fuck up!
I don't think they'll "wake up" and pay up until they realize the cost of living here, really isn't "low." They look at like, the south side and think everyone pays $400/mo in rent or mortgage... God, I wish!
"but when was the last time anyone saw a poor performer get the big salary increase?"
Umm, let me say that I've seen a poor performer get a promotion!!!! Our "Team Lead" never comes in at his scheduled time, and when he does, he never claims leave for it and makes up lame excuses like having to take a cheesecake out of the oven and wait for it to cool. AND he got chosen over someone who on a regular basis worked more than his scheduled hours AND actually knows where the future of our industry is going!
But, oh yeah, I forgot - I work for the state. They don't want smart hardworking people in position of power because people like us might actually FIX what's wrong and heaven forbid people might actually have to WORK for a living!!
And, speaking of reviews, we were just told that "4's" (out of 5) weren't allowed to be given out without proper (lengthy) justification and management team approval. WTF? Like the other managers know anything about what I'm doing.
That's so wrong. What's the matter with companies these days??? Even though you work for the state, that doesn't mean the same principals don't apply. So STUPID to promote someone who is a poor performer. And for the record, I've *never* heard of the excuse, "I had to wait for the cheesecake to cool before I came to work." WTF????
So they now have to justify 4's and 5's?? I guess you should document all your accomplishments. Nothing like CYA when reviews come around. I should have been more proactive about mine. :P
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