Are we Belling the Curve?

I have been waking up too many times to the news of how companies are parting with the Performance Bell Curve. While the evils of the bell curve are well documented, the replacement of the curve with something workable is not clear yet! Here is what I have been wondering lately-

1. Why is a regular ‘conversation’ or ‘feedback’ portrayed as a replacement to the Bell Curve? Bell Curve or No Bell Curve – wasn’t providing regular feedback an advisory prescribed to managers for years now?
2. Are we saying ‘No’ to Bell Curve and ‘No’ to any other rating system as well? If no rating, then how is the manager going to disburse the increments? Will everyone get an equal share regardless of their contribution?
3. Are our line managers prepared to chart out clear goals and objectives for their people? If managers are not able to clearly define and measure goal achievement, we may land into chaotic situations for compensation distribution.
4. How would we motivate the managers to do monthly reviews, when even getting them to do half yearly and annual appraisals is an uphill task? Jombay runs 360 degree surveys on a bi-annual basis for several companies, and it often is an effort to get the managers to fill the survey.
5. Have we trained our managers to have a conversation vs. providing only feedback?
6. And most importantly, is there clarity to the manager on what is a monthly one-on-one versus a yearly or half-yearly review; that it is more about the person – his aspirations, his concerns, his progress, his learning, even his frustrations, and not just about the project he is working on!
7. Could the same new system be applicable for both Knowledge-driven companies as well as Sales-driven companies?

If any company has answers to the above questions, then it’s straightforward. Else, one doesn’t want to be in a situation where we know what doesn’t work, but we are not clear on what could work either!

Bell Curve or No-Bell Curve, there shouldn’t be a ‘Feedback Desert’ in the organization. Use Jombay’s cutting edge 360 Degree Multi Rater Feedback tool to bridge any gaps in feedback.