And the supervisors who do take it to heart mostly meet disappointment. Few employees react positively to the experience. Most employees politely go through the process with little enthusiasm, and a smaller number get defensive and embittered. One reason is its good intentions. Appraisal is intended to facilitate employee coaching and feedback and help employees develop and grow.
Ratings seemingly provide an objective way to make pay and promotion decisions.
Appraisal also is supposed to ensure that the organization has the legal documentation it needs to fire poor performers. Dropping appraisal, however, does not mean abandoning its goals. In fact, parting with appraisal is the first step toward getting serious about its functions, opening the door for exciting, new approaches that will really make a difference. First, they take time to examine why appraisal really fails. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the design of the forms, inadequate training, supervisors shirking their responsibility, or prima donna employees who feel they are above criticism.