Cue the shaking of heads, the rolling of eyes and the murmurs of “not again” heard up and down the office corridors. The scene is familiar to anyone who’s participated in the annual performance review ritual. How could an event that’s so ingrained in organizational culture have become something of such overwhelming dread shared by so many involved in the process? Simple. By treating performance management as an annual event and emphasizing form over function and process over performance acceleration. Too often, the emphasis and energy involved are directed at compliance rather than at creating lasting value for the organization and its people.
