Goals

[Trimatty471]

One of the frustrating aspects of working is that every year we have to come up with goals.
Supposedly, this weigh in on our raises, promotions & etc.

But nobody here takes it seriously and it is getting harder to come up with something.

[spokey doke]

Don't forget the treat of not only coming up with goals, but reflecting on those goals in writing for the entire chain of command to review...

[big_slacker]

Don't forget the treat of not only coming up with goals, but reflecting on those goals in writing for the entire chain of command to review...

My new job does this. Quarterly. Giant PITA, especially and my level where we're expected to positively impact the business all the time.

[Fastfwd]

I remember those annual reviews and  I even believed in them when I was younger. At one point I slowly realized that they were just window dressing to justify raises or lack or raises. If you are appreciated or even better: (needed,critical) you will get a raise or at least an counter offer when you leave. If you are not you won't. The rest is all just to make it look fair. I especially dislike bonuses linked to dept. performance. Most of the time there is very little impact I can have on the dept. as a whole; good or bad. How is that motivating anyone when what you do has no visible impact on work conditions?

The bigger the company and the tighter the control on raises and bonuses to the point where the least efficient employee gets almost the same as the most efficient because it's just too hard to justify otherwise to the people above. I like being a consultant and being able to set my price to my actual value vs market.

[Trimatty471]

I remember those annual reviews and  I even believed in them when I was younger. At one point I slowly realized that they were just window dressing to justify raises or lack or raises. If you are appreciated or even better: (needed,critical) you will get a raise or at least an counter offer when you leave. If you are not you won't. The rest is all just to make it look fair. I especially dislike bonuses linked to dept. performance. Most of the time there is very little impact I can have on the dept. as a whole; good or bad. How is that motivating anyone when what you do has no visible impact on work conditions?

The bigger the company and the tighter the control on raises and bonuses to the point where the least efficient employee gets almost the same as the most efficient because it's just too hard to justify otherwise to the people above. I like being a consultant and being able to set my price to my actual value vs market.

Yes.  Or worse is having your goal tied with someone from another departments.

[Fastfwd]

Yes.  Or worse is having your goal tied with someone from another departments.

That would explain a lot of the ridiculous politics and backstabbing I see going on above me. Sometime I swear we do more damage to ourselves than the competition ever could. If only goals were company or dept wide but bonuses linked to actual personal performance it seems to me that everything would go smoothly but I'm a tech guy; not a people person so maybe I am missing something.

[GuitarStv]

I just reword my job description to be my goals for the year.  That way they're always met, and I've jumped through the silly hoops they want me to jump through.

[Trimatty471]

I just reword my job description to be my goals for the year.  That way they're always met, and I've jumped through the silly hoops they want me to jump through.

That is a good idea.  I am not sure that it would work.

[Trimatty471]

I just gave a goal to my boss.   The boss tells me that I need to come up with something else because the goal that I had chosen is more in line of professional development.

[asauer]

Ugh!  SO glad my company got rid of this crap a few years ago along with performance reviews and job descriptions, you know the stuff EVERYONE hates and is completely useless- as an HR professional my life is much easier and much less "police". 

[AZDude]

Nothing worse than being asked to come up with a long term goal at work. I'm like... Uh, my long term goal is to *not* work here.

Invariable I would muster up some idiotic babble about learning *insert latest technology*. Would keep the boss and HR happy. As for the long term plan, I would just ramble something out. They never actually listen anyway, so it doesn't matter what you say.

[Schaefer Light]

Ugh!  SO glad my company got rid of this crap a few years ago along with performance reviews and job descriptions, you know the stuff EVERYONE hates and is completely useless- as an HR professional my life is much easier and much less "police".

Wish more companies would take this approach.  I think the middle managers should have the ability to decide who gets a raise and who doesn't without having to fill out a bunch of paperwork.  They typically know who the top performers are without going through any kind of formal performance review process.

[Fastfwd]

I think the middle managers should have the ability to decide who gets a raise and who doesn't without having to fill out a bunch of paperwork.

I think this is done so that middle managers give raises to the right employees instead of their buddies. I am not sure it really works; just makes it harder to give raises to either one.

[AZDude]

Ugh!  SO glad my company got rid of this crap a few years ago along with performance reviews and job descriptions, you know the stuff EVERYONE hates and is completely useless- as an HR professional my life is much easier and much less "police".

Wish more companies would take this approach.  I think the middle managers should have the ability to decide who gets a raise and who doesn't without having to fill out a bunch of paperwork.  They typically know who the top performers are without going through any kind of formal performance review process.

You either get sociopaths who do their best to pay as little as possible, or you get managers who spread the wealth around. I had a manager tell me flat out I couldn't get the max raise again because I got it last year and it would be too hard to justify, so he would alternate years giving out a big bonus, or a decent raise, because it set off fewer red flags.