I attended the Indy SHRM lunch today, and ran into an old friend at the sign in table. She had seen the postings about performance management and the notes about Jack, and wanted to vent a little.
“I was a big believer in the power of performance reviews and the importance of documentation, but now, looking back on it, I guess that all of that guidance and corrective advice we were giving never really did change behaviors. Maybe it wasn’t worth the time.” She laughed. “Maybe, I’m just getting old and cynical.” I assured her that she was….and that that was OK.
We all need a little watering, some encouragement, and occasional pruning. Without the attention, we wither and die…
I was reminded a while ago when I found a dessicated and VERY dead office plant in an office, a great metaphor for performance management in our modern world.
When you feel old and dried up, like this plant, it's time to change jobs.
Karl Ahlrichs' Uncommon Experience 