Re: Performance Reviews

I have to say, all the discussion on the "best" way to do performance appraisals in an agile environment is saddening in light of the fact that nearly all of the recent data indicates that performance appraisals have the exact opposite of the intended effect. I understand that change, especially in large companies, is hard. But maybe a better question is to figure how to move toward eliminating performance appraisals in such environments rather then how to make them "better?" Frankly the discussion smells like astrologists debating how to make more accurate predictions. 

 FWIW, The path my company is on is leading us to:
 Elimination of management and all reporting structures Teams entirely self-managed Employees set their own salaries with consultation and advice from the team "Reviews" are team-based consultations about the things someone is doing well, and areas they could improve. (e.g. team member sits down with other team members and have an open, honest discussion; in effect a retrospective on the person's contributions to the team, and an opportunity for team members to coach each other). It has no impact on compensation.  -Jeff