Performance Development Review

[humphrey_clarke]

Today I received the following communication from someone in the organisation with the rather grand title of ‘Deputy Chief Executive’.

‘I would like to remind all staff that their six-monthly PDR review is now

Comments

[davidn]

One of the things that impressed me most about the Department of eLearning was their complete lack of use of anything resembling that kind of office drivel.

[humphrey_clarke]

Its impossible to resist ripping the living piss out of it.

[danielwarden]

Oh, you never fail to cheer me up - absolute comedy gold from you as usual.

[humphrey_clarke]

Well I have to channel the cynicism somewhere.

[danielwarden]

Its great, you basically articulate my own thoughts.

[okokjazz]

have you got a three barrelled shotgun? because, otherwise, when you have disembowelled the photocopier with 2 barrels, you'll need a third one or time to reload in order to turn it on yourself. Time is something you probably wouldn't have, given that somebody with a gun usually gets attention and the gun forcibly removed, however a three-barrelled shotgun would be COOL.

/pedantry.

also, yes, comedic cynicism...all good.

[humphrey_clarke]

I was just going to reload it. Heck security is so bad in the exchange buildings that were I to walk in here with a loaded shotgun, no-one would pay much attention. they would probably just think I had come to complain about my council tax bill.

[liquorsnob]

If used properly, qualitative reviews of that kind can be a very valuable resource for personal planning and development.

Of course, if they aren't used properly, such as with somebody who is doing what is only a temporary job...

[humphrey_clarke]

Any kind of wishy washy measure such as this works extremely well within the pages of a Management Text Book. The trouble is that communicating directly with employees, discussing their work and letting them know areas they can do better in, is something that should be happening anyway. If it isn’t then the staff are not being ‘managed’ in the traditional sense.

[liquorsnob]

True, but the discussions should not really be about that, they should be about personal planning. For example, is there anything that the organisation can do that will help the individual's personal development, such as support them in vocational courses, etc.

[humphrey_clarke]

Indeed, the council has a pretty comprehensive range of training courses for its staff. Hence people in this office are always off doing 'personal development' stuff. Its a brilliant system. The staff are kept in line by the prospect of advancement and made happy because they get to put a load of impressive sounding qualifications on their c.v. A cynic might suggest that a lot of these courses are useless becuase most of the information gained from them is not retained and precious hours of work are lost while staff are on training. A cynic might further suggest that, having been on innumerate traning courses, our staff should be able to use basic M.S office software to a competant standard. Thats what its all about, amassing meaningless qualifications to make it seem like you are getting somewhere. Its a fanatstic system and I applaud the genius who came up with it.

[tapati]

I'm leaving my job at the end of the month, and this resembles some of the bitter writing I've been doing about it. Thanks for the gallows humor. It's much appreciated right now.