An Uneasy Look at Performance Appraisal/Chairman Mac in Perspective (HBR Classic)

Conventional approach to performance appraisal forces managers to make judgments on the personal worth of a fellow employee. An effective alternative is employee self-evaluation. This requires that they think about their jobs, assess carefully their own strengths and weaknesses, and formulate specific plans to reach their goals. The superior's role is to help correlate the employee's self-appraisal goals and plans with the concerns of the organization. This system places the major responsibility on the subordinate, and shifts the emphasis from appraisal to analysis. The Supplement, Chairman Mac in Perspective, by W.G. Bennis, provides an evaluation of McGregor's work.