MHR 6451
Performance Management
MHR 6451
Introduction
Performance management if a valuable part of an organization, but can also be a point of
contention among the workforce. The two schools of thought regarding evaluations are the
Annual Performance Review and Real-Time Employee Feedback. The annual review is the
classic thought that once a year managers will evaluate and rank their employees based on their
performance throughout the year. Real-time feedback is the more modern approach which
provides employees feed-back by conducting touch points throughout the year. Both of these
methods have varying factors that lead to their appeal.
Annual Evaluations vs. Real-time Feedback
The manner in which performance reviews are utilized by management varies greatly
from one organization to another. The more traditional organizations often used the annual
performance review because it is familiar and they are comfortable using it. Organizations with a
more progressive approach to business often gravitate towards real-time feedback. Both of these
methods have similarities and distinct differences that appeal to organizations.
Though these methods have differing philosophies there are several areas where they are
similar. The overall intent of both annual evaluations and real-time feedback is to provide
employees with meaningful feedback that will enable them to improve their performance. Both
methods do this through interactions between management and employees in a formal
documented manner. Both require attentive management to ensure employees are achieving their
individual goals while working toward achievement of the organizational goals.
, Though the overall intent of both of these methods are similar there are distinct
differences between the outcomes theses evaluation methods. The annul evaluation provides very
little meaningful feedback to the employee. If management does not keep detailed performance
information throughout the year and have intermittent dialog with employees then it is difficult
to provide a true performance evaluation that capture the entire year. Often times these
evaluations are vague and provide no meaningful feedback to enable employees to grow.
Traditional performance evaluations are focused on determining financial rewards, top down and
bureaucratic and in most cases do not actually involve input from the person being evaluated
(Blanchard, 2016).
The real-time feedback model encourages multiple touch points throughout the year
enabling employees to improve their performance as the year progresses whereas the annual
evaluation only notifies employees of their deficiencies once the year is over. According to
Wilkie (2015), real-time feedback will actually save manager time. Instead of spending weeks
consolidating information at the end of the year to conduct an annual review, it can be done in
small increments throughout the year saving time and providing relative feedback to employees
(Wilkie, 2015). Blanchard (2016) discusses in his article, “when managers provide continuous
feedback to their team members, they are more likely to fully understand what is required to
continue good performance, correct poor performance and improve average performance”.
Evaluation Preference
Real-time performance evaluations are my preferred method of evaluation. I have spent
time both in the military as well as the civilian workforce in supervisory roles where I both
received and conducted annual performance reviews. I have seen firsthand the negative impacts
annual performance reviews have on the workforce. Receiving a performance evaluation that
was obviously thrown together last minute and is not an accurate reflection of how you’ve
Performance Management
MHR 6451
Introduction
Performance management if a valuable part of an organization, but can also be a point of
contention among the workforce. The two schools of thought regarding evaluations are the
Annual Performance Review and Real-Time Employee Feedback. The annual review is the
classic thought that once a year managers will evaluate and rank their employees based on their
performance throughout the year. Real-time feedback is the more modern approach which
provides employees feed-back by conducting touch points throughout the year. Both of these
methods have varying factors that lead to their appeal.
Annual Evaluations vs. Real-time Feedback
The manner in which performance reviews are utilized by management varies greatly
from one organization to another. The more traditional organizations often used the annual
performance review because it is familiar and they are comfortable using it. Organizations with a
more progressive approach to business often gravitate towards real-time feedback. Both of these
methods have similarities and distinct differences that appeal to organizations.
Though these methods have differing philosophies there are several areas where they are
similar. The overall intent of both annual evaluations and real-time feedback is to provide
employees with meaningful feedback that will enable them to improve their performance. Both
methods do this through interactions between management and employees in a formal
documented manner. Both require attentive management to ensure employees are achieving their
individual goals while working toward achievement of the organizational goals.
, Though the overall intent of both of these methods are similar there are distinct
differences between the outcomes theses evaluation methods. The annul evaluation provides very
little meaningful feedback to the employee. If management does not keep detailed performance
information throughout the year and have intermittent dialog with employees then it is difficult
to provide a true performance evaluation that capture the entire year. Often times these
evaluations are vague and provide no meaningful feedback to enable employees to grow.
Traditional performance evaluations are focused on determining financial rewards, top down and
bureaucratic and in most cases do not actually involve input from the person being evaluated
(Blanchard, 2016).
The real-time feedback model encourages multiple touch points throughout the year
enabling employees to improve their performance as the year progresses whereas the annual
evaluation only notifies employees of their deficiencies once the year is over. According to
Wilkie (2015), real-time feedback will actually save manager time. Instead of spending weeks
consolidating information at the end of the year to conduct an annual review, it can be done in
small increments throughout the year saving time and providing relative feedback to employees
(Wilkie, 2015). Blanchard (2016) discusses in his article, “when managers provide continuous
feedback to their team members, they are more likely to fully understand what is required to
continue good performance, correct poor performance and improve average performance”.
Evaluation Preference
Real-time performance evaluations are my preferred method of evaluation. I have spent
time both in the military as well as the civilian workforce in supervisory roles where I both
received and conducted annual performance reviews. I have seen firsthand the negative impacts
annual performance reviews have on the workforce. Receiving a performance evaluation that
was obviously thrown together last minute and is not an accurate reflection of how you’ve
