When I was asked to write this book, I asked myself whether the world needed yet another book on performance management and performance appraisal. There has to be hundreds if not thousands. I get to talk with many people in my consulting, public speaking and training work. And the story I kept hearing was consistent. Managers don't like doing performance management and appraisal and avoid it like the plague.
Employees hate performance management and appraisal with what approaches a passion.
The costs are certainly in the millions. What happens is a paperchase is created, where there may be lots of activity and few good outcomes. Above all, my conversations and work indicated we have missed the point. It's about people, pure and simple. NOT forms, NOT rankings, NOT rewards, but about people and clear respectful communication that takes place within a partnership between each manager and employee.