12th April 2023
Guest Blog: What is just-in-time career progression?
This is a guest post by Barbra Gago. Barbra is the CEO and Founder of Pando, the first employee performance platform to bring equity, transparency, and accountability to career development and promotions.
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Recall the iconic scene in Titanic where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack, freezes to death in the ocean while Rose, played by Kate Winslet, floats next to him on a piece of debris. Part of the scene’s sensational appeal lies in the script, but the superb acting is what turns it into a legendary masterpiece. Yet something lies even deeper. There is a behind-the-scenes photo of celebrated director James Cameron clinging to the same piece of debris himself while Winslet and DiCaprio listen to his feedback intently.
Now imagine this: What if the actors didn’t get the feedback right there and then? Would the scene be as successful if the director waited until after all the scenes were shot to give them feedback? The question is unimaginable for professional actors. But consider the same question for a professional outside of acting. What if critical feedback was withheld until the end of the quarter? It’s not nearly as unimaginable. Despite previous attempts to reinvent performance management, the performance review and feedback process is still broken.
Why performance management is broken
Despite adding buzzwords like “agile” to performance management, the process is still unfair, costly, and emotionally charged. More importantly, it doesn’t advance diversity efforts.
Agile performance management promises performance development and coaching with regular check-ins by managers serving as the “coach.” It’s a noble approach but it overlooks a critical piece: appropriate context.
By primarily focusing on achieving business goals, the process continues to be an evaluation of employee output, rather than a growth mechanism. Continuous performance management has even more flaws: