In the world of team management, performance evaluation plays a vital role, yet many managers lack the practical experience needed for effective assessments. This article dives into essential insights on evaluation methods, discussing common issues with job description-based assessments and how strategic goal alignment can drive meaningful outcomes.
In team management, evaluation is a crucial aspect. However, many managers, after taking on management roles, may not necessarily know how to conduct evaluations, largely due to a lack of practical experience. This article explores the author's insights on the matter. Workplace boys and girls, have you ever encountered performance evaluations based on job descriptions (JD)?
Most professionals have likely seen companies or superiors use job descriptions to evaluate employees. (I’ve experienced it too, though not in my department—it was in a peer department).
Inner monologue: “Is that really an evaluation? That’s simply job mismatch! These are basic job requirements, and now you’re dressing them up as evaluations, OKR management, ‘Eagle Growth Plan,’ or ‘North Star Plan’? What is this? Does work need to be coaxed now? Who’s lost their mind here—those doing the work or the managers?”
No specific metrics, just vague job requirements. No clear criteria for individual employees—just general job expectations for everyone in the role. I can't stand it. This is like seeking fish in a tree or carving a boat to find a sword! No meaningful management outcomes, no motivation or challenge for employees—total double kill!
🏠 Basic Organizational Logic that Professionals Must Understand Sooner or Later
Strategic vision or market goals drive the organizational structure: Organizations serve the vision and goals.
Goals and vision are broken down into specific roles, with each job supporting specific aspects of the goals. Job descriptions represent the responsibilities and rights of a role and correspond to fixed salary components.
Evaluation metrics should be abstracted from key success factors and excellent competencies specific to different roles. These metrics indicate what we expect from a particular position. Evaluations are not of the position itself but of the individual, as everyone’s capabilities and areas for improvement vary. (A key issue many teams face is evaluating positions rather than individuals. Ultimately, organizations are made up of people, and both KPIs and OKRs are forms of managing individual labor units).
We evaluate employees based on what upper management wants
Evaluation criteria are derived from job descriptions and the key success actions of the role. These criteria fall within a “bandwidth” of expectations, and reaching different ranges within that bandwidth triggers corresponding rewards. This is the basic logic of setting performance incentives.
If the original labor output assumption is 1.0, this method creates a range from 0.7 to 1.5. What does management want? Whether it’s pushing every team member to improve or monitoring specific areas, those can be part of the evaluation criteria. The premise is that the content aligns with and supports the objectives (don’t think of this as "targeting individuals"; it’s about "targeted development"). The compensation incentive model is built on the evaluation model, and evaluations feed into this model. Both serve the organization’s broader system.
Breaking Down Goals Isn’t Enough—You Must Be Able to Rebuild Them While Keeping the Big Picture in Mind
Behind this process, there’s also a need for calculation. Different success points for various roles will naturally impact overall objectives. Big goals, medium goals, small goals, personal goals—all are interlinked. Managers must bet on achieving their own goals while relying on subordinates to hit theirs.
Since team objectives are often long-term (e.g., fiscal year or half-year), smaller teams or individual members may be tasked with achieving shorter-term goals (quarterly, monthly, or weekly). A common strategy is to focus on the larger targets and let smaller ones follow. For example, if the quarterly target is achieved, it may cover for missing a monthly goal. (Although smaller goals emerge throughout the process, they are ultimately just means to achieve the final objective).
If you are becoming a leader, or are already one, you might want to think about this…
