Inaccurate Scales

I used to think of Performance Appraisals as a pet peeve. Now I'm convinced it may be the one thing that requires confession and pleading for forgiveness as a supervisor, manager, executive and business owner.

Have you ever rated someone lower because you didn't want him/her to think they deserved a promotion or greater merit increase? Have you ever rated someone higher because you didn't want to have that 'awkward' conversation? Have you followed a policy such as 10% of employees are given A's, 80% are given B's and 10% C's, D's or F's? Have you ever rated someone as a Hero because you've always thought of them as a hero even though they messed up four times, and rated someone as a Dolt even though they only messed up four times but you've always thought this of him/her?

At least 90% of an appraisal is based on policies, appraiser biases, prejudices and preferences while less than 10% is based on the person's actual performance.

This may be the very definition of an inaccurate scale--a device that falsely compares two things or two people--and that's something God abhors: see Deut. 25.13ff; Prov. 11.1, 16.11, 20.10, 20.23; Micah 6.11).

If our performance appraisal system is tied into merit increases and promotions, then we may also be guilty of cheating workers of their wages. James 5 (paraphrase) says, "If we cheat workers of wages, there's a special place in Hell for us."