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Its nice to get a pat on the back, be recognized, be applauded for our hard work and efforts in our job. Its a deep and important value that we be respected, admired and appreciated for who we are and for what we have to give, especially for what we do give. Its a natural thing to want appreciation, as is to demand it. For doesn’t the basis of our future earnings directly rely in some context on that very appreciation from our coworkers and management? More directly, doesn’t my raise, job security, advancement depend on what management “thinks” of me? Most importantly and to my point, is not all that ultimately summed up in my regular employee “review” and the “scores” I get through that policy based documentation driven process?

So a simple question: Doesn’t my very means for survival and success, heavily depend on that thing called “my annual review”?

Well… a resounding No. That review doesn’t get me a raise or initiate a higher bonus plan. It doesn’t increase my benefits and definitely does not imply any relation or effect to the longevity of employment I will experience.

Because many reviews that managers give today are conducted as a human resources checklist function, and are usually a grief to both employee and manager. That’s expected with such compliance or audit driven protocols. Its not about the employee to manager but more so the manager to their manager. Maybe to fill needs such as indiscriminant curve driven compensation re-evaluations, “fair raises” by assuming to place each employee on a normalized scale of performance driven scoring. So we each have a good feeling that the sweat of our brow is truly going toward our personal goals of achieving a higher reward for ourselves in a fair and rewarding environment.

Or so the appearance is such but my experience is NOT that those with the great and awesome reviews are the very same ones with the highest salaries, best raises and largest bonuses. As well not that these heros of yesterday carry the prize of  “tenure”. If it were otherwise then is it true that what I did and how I did it, and the experience eluded to in all the trophies from last year is really what will get me my big increase next year, or how about in five years? Experience is key to performance, but business invests in the context of forward thinking prospects more dependent on opportunity and profitability, specifically targeted in some future forecast.

Corporate reality embraces temporary-ism when effective, and a more king-of-the-hill approach to tenure, as opposed to concepts of appreciation based “post-centives”. Yearly reviews paint the illusion of a year long accrual of deserved appreciation, good and bad, with implication of future effect on personal reward.

Its just not a modern day way of doing business to invest in yesterday’s achievements.

Regardless a review still exudes and implies power, tangible effect on personal reward, the opportunity to achieving success and our very dreams. Get a bad review, oh no… while a great review… isn’t that a real milestone achieved towards one’s ultimate goals?

I’m obviously here to spread a small if not humble amount of ridicule and disillusionment on the benefits eluded to by the regular employee “review”. If you are a fan of reviews, I mean no offense and wish you success, but maybe, just possibly there could be a better more poignant path to success and an even better future than the one our respected “review” promises.

[In walks the “Preview”]

My “Preview” means more to me on a daily basis than any review I have had. Its consists of:

role establishment by foreseeing and meeting demands

clarity with immediate management at all times

identifying and tracking progress in company and personally aligned goals

foresight of my own quality assurance process

awareness of the value seen in me by the company

The last, my value to the company, is the intrinsic and all inclusive facet of the “preview”. It clearly defines the purpose I am employed for, it embodies the hopesthat carried my hiring to reality, and it is the very basis for my continued employment during imminent resource revaluations and cost cutting processes. What I will dofor the company is the all inclusive and highest relevant aspect of my chances for personal success. Not what I’ve done, no matter how proud I may be, rather what I will do, is what should be my sole and only focus.

Even if I use my “review” to better the results of, and to reinforce my “preview” by improving my output or better aligning my perspectives with management, that is merely an indirect method of learning, making adjustments and progressing personally through life. It is not intrinsic to my future or my success albeit beneficial. It is my “preview” that I need to worry about if I want to succeed.

Truly, to get an awesome and glorious review, even carved on a plaque and delivered with applause, what is it good for if my role is being eliminated, or my team is being dismantled, or my wages cannot be justified? My “preview” would identify and hopefully evade such situations. My “preview” doesn’t deal with things in the past I can’t change, rather focuses solely on what can be done as aligned with management and my perceived skills.

So I ask my manager what he could want and need of me in the upcoming weeks and months, and document it with him. I ask what I can do to lighten his load, how to automate mine, how to get more exposure and progress through my career with expected milestones and navigation towards our goals, all documented and tracked.

I ask what I can do, not of what I’ve done. I would know of it when I do wrong. I’m in good standing with past work when my boss doesn’t have to think of it. Asking him at the end of the year to recall all the things he never had to think of… just seems silly.

So I’ll use the “preview” to foretell of my future and establish the reasoning for my daily efforts. I’ll leave worries of my “review” to what can only be inevitable disappointment of my altruistic hopes and goals, and something I can personally do without.