Performance Review.

Performance Review, Video, 2005, AIM Learning Group, Inc., $495-$1495.

Support: leader guide, workbook.

In spite of the fact that almost everyone in the workplace dreads the annual performance review, approximately 97 percent of all organizations in the United States use some version of it. Most performance appraisal training programs focus on common managerial mistakes such as delivering ratings without any concrete examples or evaluating personality traits in place of performance indicators.

Performance Review moves beyond the usual and obvious remedies for these mistakes to offer practical technique for both employer and employee. For those of you who enjoyed John Cleese's Helping Hand coaching video, the English actor and comedian Hugh Laurie offers in this video a similar firm but gentle approach to the annual exercise.

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Part 1: Every Manager's Nightmare

After brief initial narration, the program jumps into an example of a "boorish" manager delivering a demoralizing, one-sided annual performance appraisal. Laurie reprimands the manager for being crass, blundering, and insensitive and then demonstrates how to draw out the quiet, soft-spoken employee. This first of six vignettes ends with a summary of key points and an example of proper manager follow-up. The rest of Part 1 predictably progresses, using the same format to illustrate more examples of distracting employee behavior and manager missteps.

Part 2: Every Appraisee's Dream

Part 2 sets this product apart because it coaches the employee to prepare for and actively participate in the appraisal interview. This part begins with a sulking employee angrily muttering about a "complete waste of time" to Laurie, now playing the odd and contradictory sounding part of an affable computer virus. (Affable? Aren't all computer viruses virulent?)

Employees are coached to organize and honestly discuss their accomplishments and shortcomings and fully participate in a career development dialogue. Several examples of poor behavior are shown, and the computer virus points out how the employee can better prepare for the review. Each vignette of poor behavior is followed by one of productive behavior.

The DVD main menu is easy to navigate and conveniently breaks the video segments into chunks that can be incorporated into several instructional approaches without difficulty. A bonus materials section contains one- to two-minute snippets of information about legal issues, 360-degree appraisals, team appraisals, pay reviews and expert appraisers. The purchase price includes a leader guide and participant workbook, but neither were included with the review copy of the video. As a result, I don't give a Value for the money rating because the quality of the support package is an important part criterion.

Hold the stereotypes!

This is a finely produced video with believable actors. Their British accents are charming and not an obstacle for an American audience.

The six examples of difficult employees featured in Part 1 are tagged with names describing their undesirable traits such as Non-stick Nigel and Bolshie (Bolshevik) Becky. These characterizations border on stereotyping and don't seem appropriate for a video that otherwise provides an excellent illustration of a diverse and respectful workplace. The behavioral examples and the techniques demonstrated to manage performance review interactions are excellent and modeled effectively.

When played start to finish, the video's pace becomes a bit plodding with the repetitive and predicable format. However, given that training videos are rarely used in this manner, this is not a drawback in practice. The main menu options that permit the training facilitator to move quickly to individual clips and chapters more than compensate for the slow pace.

Recommendation

I can easily see Performance Review used for training in government and other work environments where the employees are clerical, office, and professional workers. It excels in demonstrating the value of good workplace communication skills for both managers and employees. I recommend it for supplemental or refresher training in combination with a formal performance management training program that includes in-depth content for setting performance goals and objectives, writing measurable performance goals, and learning the legal requirements for objective, defensible performance documentation.

Review by Sandra A. Grotewohl

Product Ratings

Performance Review

Holds user interest  *** 1/2
Acting/presenting    ****
Diversity            ****
Production quality   ****
Value of Content     ***
Instructional Value  ***
Overall rating       *** 1/2