KnowHR Blog - Latest Comments in It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

frankroche — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:40:59 -0000

Thanks, Ron. You and me, buddy. I like Old School.

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

frankroche — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:40:30 -0000

Overenthusiam on my part...corrected the math ;-(

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

frankroche — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:39:57 -0000

Hi Wally....I'm being an agent provocateur. I'm really into multiple contacts per day by qualified supervisors. I'm against bad managers administering a bad system. I've always liked your take on leadership...and you know how to make that happen. I'm glad you're out there showing the way on it.

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

Wally Bock — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:22:34 -0000

Fine post, Frank. If you're talking about eliminating the performance appraisal systems we've got in most companies, then I'm with you. BUT I'm not for eliminating performance appraisal, at least not the direct, many-times-a-day evaluation that happens between supervisor and team member. Without that you get neither correction nor improvement.

The HR-run system sits atop that daily work. The HR-run systems we have in place are not just ineffective, they're often toxic.

So it turns out that we're mucking it up on both ends of the process. On the front lines, we're not selecting people with a shot at success to be supervisors. We barely train the ones we select and only a fraction of that training concentrates on the simple communication skills necessary to coach, counsel, encourage and correct. We don't hole supervisors responsible for their daily supervision work and we give them no support. Then, we stick some superstructure of an annual one-way system atop the whole thing and expect it to work.

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

dave — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:12:57 -0000

Am I missing something, or is the picture actually from 1902 and not 1912?

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

Ron Ulrici — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:28:53 -0000

Frank, you brought tears to my eyes today. Deming knew this truth - he thought performance appraisals were degrading and counter to productivity. Down with trends and the flavor of the month - I bet that the people that created Stonehenge didn't have performance reviews and they accomplished something superhuman. Count me in - I'm standing up today and everyday for Old School!

Re: It’s Time to Go Old School in HR

TotallyConsumed — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:18:25 -0000

Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Mahatma Gandhi, et al, were all people who checked in with peers, loved ones and cohorts on a regular basis to discuss ideas, analyze results, measure progress and yes - even review their performance.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one Frank; when it comes to HR, old school means performance reviews and performance management, not the absence thereof.