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From the President
As you may guess, this time of year only seems slow. You may be experiencing the same thing. I like the idea of "down time" but can't seem to really feel it. There is still too much of the day-to-day work to catch up. When I found myself cleaning my desk this week, I knew that I must be procrastinating, putting off all the work that I need to get done, but don't usually have the time to complete.
Among those things are employee evaluations. Really, it is one of those tasks that we are least prepared to do. Have you ever had a class in how to write an evaluation? If you have, I consider you lucky. This is one of those areas where I only have examples from my own employment to follow, combined with some additional outside reading. Given the variety of jobs I have had over the years, this modeling was not always the best. I have to say, though, that libraries, often following a union-negotiated format, seem to do a thoughtful job of evaluating employee performance. But am I using them in the best way possible? Because for me, it is a task I dread. I know that the majority of my employees do a good job. They are focused, responsible people, and I like working with them. But even those evaluations can be a challenge to write. Add in the 360 evaluation and it can seem overwhelming at time, coordinating with myself and the employee.
The interesting thing for me is that private business seems to evaluate everything and everyone at every turn. This, of course, is often driven by the bottom line. For many of us, an annual evaluation is a time to discuss ways to improve, things we did right and those that we didn't. In my observation, private business seems to take it to another level, and maybe we should reconsider how we conduct them. Are we really using them in the best way possible? Again, I have to ask that question. I checked out Trizle, which is a subscription-based journal and resource helping to empower businesses and help employees and employers alike, with a goal of helping business change the world. They do have some content available for free. "Why Most Employee Evaluations Suck" made me think about how I approach the evals I have to write, and what my intention is for giving the evaluation. Maybe this should become something I work on as a New Year's Resolution (yes, that is coming soon), with the intention of making the evaluation really valuable, personal, role-related, and informative for each of the employees I evaluate.
And now a little treat from YouTube, courtesy of Maria Sunio at the Upland Public Library, to help you procrastinate: Jane Austen Ladies: "Maneater". Silly fun to enjoy, and then find your way to another place on YouTube or elsewhere.
My best wishes to each and every one of you! Restful holidays to all!
Monique le Conge
2008 President
monique_leconge@ci.richmond.ca.us
Posted by Monique le Conge, 2008 CLA President on December 21, 2007 4:26 PM | Permalink