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The Busy PT's Guide to Finding Balance

Employee Evaluations

Published August 26, 2009 5:35 PM by Janey Goude
Consider reinventing the employee evaluation. 

Typical assessments identify weaknesses and ask employees to improve on them.  Is that really where you want your staff investing their time - trying to achieve mediocre results in areas of weakness? 

We all have weaknesses.  No one is good at everything.  Granted we all must have minimal competencies.  In life we all need to be able to read and perform basic math skills. 

But beyond those minimal competencies, our life's pursuit will determine what areas we must develop.  A student who becomes a nuclear physicist will need a much different set of skills than a student who becomes the stay-at-home mother of ten children.

All PTs must have good documentation skills for reimbursement.  Yet, a therapist who works in industrial rehab will have different set of minimal competencies than a therapist who works at a children's hospital. 

Once we have achieved those minimal competencies, our time is better served investing in our strengths than shoring up our weaknesses.  Imagine an organization where the staff devoted their time to achieving greatness in their strengths? 

When I go to a professional for a service, I'm not interested in someone who can do an adequate job.  I want someone who is the best at what they do.  Would you rather have a team of mediocre jacks-of-all-trades or would your business fare better with a team of expert masters?

Are you still skeptical about how to handle those pesky weaknesses?  That's next week's blog.  For this week, just focus on greatness.

5 comments

Ruth, thanks for making a personal application.

Amy, thanks for sharing the positive impact your change has had!  Partnership is such a great word for conveying to employees the investment they are making to the organization, and how the success of the two entities (employee and employer) is interdependent.

Janey Goude September 2, 2009 10:22 PM

I too can relate.  Recently, in staff evaluation forms, I changed "weakness" and "improvement goals" to "opportunities" and "department contribution goals".  Reviews now are a partnership in identifying professional growth opportunities in an area of interest for the staff member and how they can use their skills best to better the department.    Have received positive feedback from staff and managers.

Amy September 2, 2009 9:41 PM

On a personal note, a daily/monthly journal can list goals to achieve in many areas.  You can evaluate yourself by re-reading your notes from prior months and years.  My mind functions best when challenged.

ruth August 31, 2009 9:20 AM

You make excellent points.  Delivery is certainly key.  I appreciate you differentiating between weaknesses and latent strengths.  Employees blossom under a supervisor who recognizes potential and nurtures it.

Janey Goude August 27, 2009 12:16 PM

Having just finished my own evaluation not long ago, I can relate to what you are saying. As a manager and educator though, I think the message that staff receives about an evaluation has to do with how it is delivered.

I know that on my staff's evals, I encourage areas of improvement to include not just weaknesses, but also potential areas for greatness that I can nuture and see grow with the staff member. Areas for improvment do not have to be shortcomings, they can be areas of latent strength as well. In this respect the manager can also develop the role of mentor. Far more productive I think.

Dean Metz August 26, 2009 8:44 PM
New York NY

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