Bizerm?: “Devaluation"

In the 1990s the idea of having employees do self-evaluations as part of an employee appraisal or review program. Many groups and employers quickly embraced the concept including the Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit, EDS and Kmart.

The well-intended self-evaluations cause an employee to wonder why a program meant for employee growth is turned into a self-confessional. With self-evaluation the employee is forced to failures, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. After-all, failure to expose one may that management already knew can cast doubt on the employee’s candor.

This is one form of “devaluation”. The term “devaluation” refers to any employee appraisal or evaluation system where the final product does not provide a road map to short- and long-term employee development.

Effective appraisal programs focus on future employee development. They set out a series of goals relating to where the employee will find success and a road map to get there.

It is important to remember the "success" spot on the map is where the employee is delivering maximum value to the employer while achieving the utmost personal satisfaction. Annual evaluations or appraisals are necessary because as the employee’s interests and skills grow the spot where the gain satisfaction while adding value may also change.

About the author:

Rick Weaver has half a century’s experience in leadership development in retailing. He founded Max Impact Corporation, a leadership and business development consultancy company in 2002. His major accomplishments include working himself from stock clerk to director at a Fortune 50 retail chain and building a $40MM+ construction company in under 5 years. Today he works as an Executive Search Consultant with Patrice & Associates matching management talent with the job culture for which they are uniquely wired.