Staff Appraisal

Self-Evaluation and
Continuing Professional Development

• occupational values that are associated with the work they do
• these values need to be lin line with those of the organisation they are working for
• the person must have a positive and active interest in reviewing how they do their job and what they achieve through it.

Members of professional associations have studied to pass the examinations of "the profession". They cannot legitimately engage in their occupation without this qualification or licence to practice. "Professional" status brings with it the ethical duties of honesty and integrity, competence in practice, placing the client's interest before one's own egoistic interests. Competence in practice requires keeping up to date and critically examining the quality of one's own practices.

Thus we may expect doctors, accountants, lawyers and teachers - to be actively committed to self-examination and continuing professional development - maintaining and improving their expertise. Their licence to practice needs to be renewed periodically - often by being subjected to the scrutiny of their peers.

These are basic premises on which the special status that society affords "the professions" is founded. Against this backdrop, a "self-developer" (professional member or otherwise) might take the following line:

"I am unsure whether I am doing a good job or not. I need reference points that enable me to throw light on this. If I can find ways of doing the job better, I will."

"I am self-interested. My job and profession contributes to the life satisfactions I am looking for. Therefore I wish to improve expertise and contribution and advance my career prospects."

The performance-oriented employer wants to employ people with such orientation as, arguably, they are keen and well-motivated. Responsibility for self-appraisal and continuing professional development rests with the person concerned but the employer of "professionals" has

• to recognise that the code of practice of the professional body will take precedence over expediency
• to understand what the employee is being asked to do - their role, responsibilities, expectations and the competencies they display/require.

Our concern here is for employee self-evaluation. In a job situation, a personal duty to "self-evaluate" necessitates the individual wanting and being able to receive useful feedback from work colleagues (feedback that they can and wish to do something with). Their manager is a key player.

Subsidiary questions are also raised

• Where can I find someone to have a "learning conversation" with me about my continuing professional development, myprogress, my hopes, my fears.
• Who can help me come to terms with my limitations and understand my mistakes?
• Where can I find someone with the experience and wisdom to review my performance so that I can shape it, build on my strengths and improve the fit between what I can contribute and what the client organization needs from me?

So, we build up an idealised model of the self-evaluative holder of a job. The model assumes the characteristics of a self-actualised learner, committed to personal growth and striving to achieve standards they construe as being important.

Feedback offers information to compare personal standards/accomplishments with others and in particular to obtain an organisational and occupational/professional view.

The Theory Y assumptions of McGregor do not focus on "members of professional bodies" who may face a dilemma if the organisation wishes to take action which is contrary to the norms and values of professional membership. Having noted this, the Theory Y concern for integrating the needs of the individual with those of the organisation - stresses the internalising of organisational standards and values. Staff appraisal assumes the loyal, member who identifies with organisational standards/norms.

A company who places high value on learning and continuing professional development, may promote the practice of peer review and "self-evaluation" but the autonomous individual who pursues their own developmental agenda without regard for organisational expectations - would not fit in.

"Emphasis on individuality may imply people doing what they want to do with no co-ordination, comparison or satisfactory management control. Theory Y and staff management is more about membership and mediation of self-interest for the collective what they should be doing"

Maslow in articulating the self-actualised ideal recognised that organisations may find it difficult to accommodate a self-actualised striver all of the time.

© Created by Chris Jarvis for the BOLA Project.