There is a mindset in the business world that we have to do employee evaluations on a regular basis. This can be a great practice when done with integrity. Unfortunately, there is a tendency by some companies to make evaluations intimidating and challenging rather than educational and helpful. And I need to say at this point that this blog is not about employee evaluations … I will address that subject in a few weeks. This blog is about whether candor is good or bad (cruel).
The employee evaluation, to have any substance or credibility, must be handled with candor as a tool to help both the employee and the company be successful.
I happen to believe that candor is one of the kindest forms of management. It requires a combination of straightforward candid talk … not cruel … not rude, but honest, sympathetic, and hopefully, leading to improvement and growth. Every employee needs to know where they stand with their company … what their future looks like. This requires advising everyone where they stand. If they are not performing well or don’t have potential to grow with the company they need to know that and what options are available to them. They should be told where they stand, what they can do to improve, and how the company (and their boss) sees their potential. If its bad news it needs to be tactfully communicated so that they know while they have a chance to make adjustments and not just be downsized or terminated. It they don’t have the skills or passion to grow with the company then the company needs to help them either develop those skills or help them find an opportunity that will work for them. Today employees are not loyal to their employers because employers have drastically mismanaged their employees since 2008. It is going to take some time, effort, and yes, money to heal this major wound within the workforce.
Next Blog: Keeping the top performers
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I Am Phil Hoffman 