Evaluations

I really dislike workplace evaluations. I hate getting them and I hate giving them. I think they are pointless. I would prefer, that if I do something good or something incredibly dumb, my boss point these things out to me and give guidance on how to move on AT THE TIME THEY ARE HAPPENING. This, in my humble opinion, is more constructive. In all fairness, he does say "good job" if I perform some miraculous accomplishment, but he saves the bad until it's time to decide whether or not I get a raise. This is wrong on two levels. First it makes me dread my yearly evaluation like a death row inmate waiting for the needle. It's never good. Second, on the off chance that I didn't know I screwed up, it keeps me in that incorrect mode for several months before telling me to change. I've come to the conclusion that evaluations are often simply a way to justify not paying us what we believe we should be paid. But lets not go there.

So, my yearly evaluation for 2009 hasn't been done yet. Typically it's done in December in preparation for March raises, but this year has been extra busy (moving the office and all). It actually should be coming any day now but I have decided that I'd rather skip it. What is the point? Why the elaborate production to justify not giving me a raise (or giving me a less-than-cost-of-living raise) when I already know none of us are getting a raise this year? I'm not bitter about this. I'm thankful to have a job. I know what times are like and I'm not so egocentric that I can't see the bigger picture in our organization. But why waste my time and submit to ego-shattering criticism for no reason. I already know what I've done wrong this year (I'm my worst critic) and I know I'm not getting a raise. So, lets skip the song and dance and just work on next year.