Nobody likes annual evaluations. Well, perhaps a few masochists or sadists do, but none of the rest of us do.
Why do those yearly events cause us so much angst? From my experience on both sides of that table, it always feels painful due to the judgmental-prescriptive dynamic that is built into it. One person in the conversation, usually the boss/supervisor, is tasked with "scoring" the other person on their performance, then giving them advice/counsel on how to do that job better.
An alternative that seems a bit less painful is a collaborative inquiry-based conversation. Some questions that generate reflective examination of performance (for both parties) can include the following:
- From your perspective, what are two or three of the primary things we need to try to accomplish in order to achieve the Vision our organization espouses?
- What about your assigned work role seems to align well with that Vision?
- What about your assigned work responsibilities seem misaligned, or maybe even run contrary, to that Vision?
- In what ways do you feel you've improved in the work you do?
- What about your work seems to give you the most pleasure?
- What about your assigned role causes you the most heartburn or anxiety?
- If our organization was performing perfectly, how would it look from your role?