Were these anonymous evaluations?
No, every manager conducted an individual review with me exactly as I did with each of them. This practice was on the list of things HR said I could not do. But, it was an important part of team building. In the review process we openly addressed how we mutually supported each other. It definitely promoted no-nonsense communication.
Interesting, and I can see how it would benefit both parties. One more question: did the managers see the other reviews of you?
Good question. At the next management meeting (the managers were located all over the US) I went over the issues and set up my goals to correct anything important. I suspect they had coordinated their reviews. I didn’t always agree with them, but it was not a whine and bitch session. We were really trying to solve the problems we had faced on the way up. Most of those related to reducing the bullshit coefficient.
My definition of the function of management: set reasonable goals and make sure the employee has the resources to achieve them.
What a concept! /s
I want to work anywhere that I can have Crane as a supervisor.
So, need an art teacher who’s pushin’ seventy?
Or, how about shoveling and lawn mowing?
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Have Shovel and Vintage Push Mower, Will Travel
. . . . . . . . . . Wire digs, San Francisco
When my employer [a prestigious art school] started having us do self-evaluation, I wrote “My religion forbids me to blow my own horn” - I got called in and asked to be serious.
So I wrote “By my works ye shall know me”. I got called in Again and reminded to be serious; this was not just about Performance, but Goals.
I submitted as my Goals:
To arrive each working day in a timely fashion, determine as rapidly as
possible what new emergencies and ongoing projects I can most
realistically make progress upon, and proceed as best possible to
resolve such emergencies and make progress on such projects as I can
before being interrupted by fresh emergencies and new or revised
projects.
To continually explore new ways of encouraging those persons who are
allowed to assign me tasks to communicate their expectations to me in a
clear and timely fashion.
To continually explore new ways of graciously discouraging those persons
who are not supposed to assign me tasks from having unrealistic
expectations of assistance.
To continually remind myself that when all is said and done, I work for
the students; and that finding knowledge, time and energy to assist them
in their studies and growth as artists and designers should be one of my
primary agendas.
It was suggested once more I was not being serious - I respectfully disagreed, and submitted the same text for the rest of my 37 years there…
Just finished with mine.
I work remote and was hired remote. No one at the company knows me personally and there may be three people who would recognize my name if I walked into the office and introduced myself. I’m an employee of a subcontractor and my direct supervisors work for a different subcontractor so their input isn’t available if my employer even knows who I’m working with.
They pretty much have to take me at my word for anything I put in the document because no one is in a position to contradict it.
So yeah. A complete exercise in futility.
I have one coming up. I’ve always believed that they are so subjective that they’re meaningless. If the powers that be want someone gone, they can pay selective attention to certain things and magnify their importance. But if you’re in their good books, no worries—that may be from schmoozing the boss or legit skills, but if you’re in, you’re in.
I think the takeaway is to talk to co-workers, try to figure out of the method of evaluation is truly unbiased etc. and CYA.
Damn, that’s perfect. You can delete “one of” if you want.
My first year of teaching at an excellent art school (“prestigious but you’ve never heard of us”), I had a couple of teachers try to get me fired.
After a few sleepless nights, I decided that the students should be my focus. And when any petty politics* started bothering me, I’d ask myself “Will this affect my students? Will it keep them from learning? And having a kickass career as designers or fine artists?” (it was always No, No, and No… IF I didn’t let it distract me).
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*A friend I confided in, who taught at a big university, said “Y’know why Academic Politics are so cutthroat? …
… Because the stakes are so low.” SO true!
Careful, he may be more of a rogue than a paladin.
ISWYDT… well played.
Down around Columbus Ave?
I have no huge gripe with our annual review process, except that it takes place immediately after annual raises and bonuses are set in stone. So … if the manager might possibly have learned anything about the employee through this process, it is totally worthless.
Don’t be too quick about that. Many employees considered me to be a corporate zealot.
An excellent response to the ‘there’s my goals and then there’s my job’ problem. Sometimes management needs to go with the flow.
I had an employee (not a manager) who would only live in Aspen CO, had a VW bus for the company car and only worked 4 days a week. Customers loved him and he got the job done. Once a year he would slide into my office, plop down in a chair, list all of the things I was doing wrong and leave.
A few iconoclasts give the place class.
Sounds like a meaningless corporate convenience. Have you discussed it with HR?
My company has tens of thousands of employees. I’m pretty sure HR doesn’t care about my opinion.
That’s not entirely true. They at least owe you a boiler plate excuse.
Just saw this and felt like owed you an answer: No.
I’d love to teach on the upper west side, but my school’s about 800 miles west of there. And I threw in the “prestigious" because the previous poster had.
How do you get 800 miles west of San Francisco