[QuiQuaeQuod]

I am writing letters to recommend our junior faculty be reappointed for another year. These are short, like 2 page letters, as opposed to the 5 pages I did for tenure decisions. Boy do I hate doing this! At best it is summarizing what they say in their file, and throwing in some BS HS boilerplate (.... and this shows a strong committment to the goals of the University). At worst it is sticking a knife in someone's hopes and dreams. Or more accurately, laying the groundwork for sticking in the knife NEXT time.

Do you have to evaluate workers? If so, what are your strategies? Are you lavish with both praise and criticism? Are you guarded in your critiques? Do you use corporate speak, or plain language? How long do you give people to fix problems before you decide they won't? A year? A month?

If you want to make this more general, think about giving feedback to people regardless of whether you are their "boss" or not. How do you handle coworkers on your "team"? Silence? Praise? Slag them mercilessly? Some combination?

Obviously, hoo is not having fun this week. Freaking snow, freaking bureacratic bs paperwork, freaking router.

 

[AIE]

Buck up Hoo.

You would have made a worthless concentration camp comandant.

 

[funknuggets]

Hate it too...

Thats one of the main reasons I took my most recent job. Stepping into a mgmt spot where I had NO direct reports, just several outsourced (EDS here and India) resources. That means I don't have to do these monotonous online bi-annual reviews of direct reports which I would have to if they were employees. Sweet.

 

[wayneanneli]

Besides languages, I also majored partly in management and personnel. Hoo, the thing is to be consistent and keep files of things that they have demonstrated throughout the year, whether good or bad. Documentation is really important when evaluating. It helps us remember what actually happened, when it happened, and what was the result of their actions. It is a back-up to support a positive or negative evaluation. Nobody has ever said that evaluations are to always be positive. Rather, they can also be neutral and a source of areas of improvement. Documenting things that happen is not always easy, but it does makes life easier later on.
Cheers, Wayne

 

[QuiQuaeQuod]

Hoo, the thing is to be consistent and keep files of things that they have demonstrated throughout the year, whether good or bad. Documentation is really important when evaluating.

Oh, I have that. Believe me, they put together HUGE amounts of documentation. Evaluations from all classes taught. Every manuscript, publication, presentation they did. All committees served on. Every letter of reference written. Web pages from curricular web sites and other sites they are involved with. Information I have. And trust me, I point to it all the time when writing.

The big problem is with those above me. We've gone through a bunch of them, and each has their own quirks, and own ways of evaluating things that are NOT written down. When expectations change, that makes it tougher to do this kind of thing.

 

[physasst]

Yep

Oh, I have that. Believe me, they put together HUGE amounts of documentation. Evaluations from all classes taught. Every manuscript, publication, presentation they did. All committees served on. Every letter of reference written. Web pages from curricular web sites and other sites they are involved with. Information I have. And trust me, I point to it all the time when writing.

The big problem is with those above me. We've gone through a bunch of them, and each has their own quirks, and own ways of evaluating things that are NOT written down. When expectations change, that makes it tougher to do this kind of thing.

Have to evaluate the secretaries, residents, fellows, and nurses.....the secretaries and nurses are easy, most of them have been there for a long time, and are seasoned. The Residents and Fellows however, are a tougher nut to crack, you have a responsibility to their future patients to make sure they are competent physicians, so I try to be fair, but very honest. Some of them don't like me after our rotation together, but I always tell myself that their future patients and colleagues will thank me later.