[starbox] If the work isn’t getting done, every job on the team is at risk. This is why my evaluation system starts by looking at productivity vs. goals. Each of the 20 questions is scored on a scale of one to five, starting with volume of work produced. An employee who never meets the goal obviously gets zero points, while someone who far exceeds the goal gets five points. Sloppy work doesn’t really meet goals, so our next question concerns “Quality of Work Produced.” If quality is always a problem for the employee, they get zero points. If quality is never an issue — five points. Deadlines are important, too, so the people who can never seem to meet them get a goose egg, while those go-getters who always deliver get a five. A more difficult question concerns task selection. Every team has some people who love challenges. If you never worry about what task you assign to a person, they get five points. Zero is reserved for the employee who can only be given the easy, routine assignments. The final piece of the productivity puzzle is time management. No one wants a teammate who can’t stay “on task” without constant nagging. Zero points for those who have to be reminded constantly that there is work to be done, and five to the workers who stick to a project — regardless of distractions or interruptions. These questions were selected because they have “metrics” that are recorded during the regular course of business or, in the case of the latter two, direct manager/employee interactions that will be remembered by both parties. We are all adults; and this isn’t self-esteem camp. When we disagree about something, we don’t have to be disagreeable. When an employee disagrees with a particular score, it is a “teachable moment.” The first time this system is used, some employees are not aware metrics are being collected or that their work assignments were limited by perceptions of their skill level. Sometimes they do not realize that others notice the many breaks they take or the amount of time they spend on personal projects. Honest evaluations are capable of changing peoples’ lives. Good employees are hard to find and costly to train. This first category of questions is the place where the results of their everyday performance are measured against what is needed for the company to compete in the worldwide marketplace. It isn’t just a matter of personalities or who gets along well. There are plenty of places for people to socialize. Most of us have only one job and we want to work for a thriving company. That's why good employees make for strong competitors.