I have not been an
admirer of evaluation systems in hospitals for physicians and nurses, or at
any other place for that matter. Nor am I an admirer of a system where everyone
has to account for every minute of their time, particularly in childhood and
during education. I am for choosing the “correct candidate” and give them an
atmosphere of excellence and support to learn. They will grow and develop. Some may not grow, of course. I do
agree that the problem of defining the “correct candidate” is a tough one. Even
if one can develop criteria for such a candidate, how can one spot them? It is
certainly not possible during a short interview. Some executives will say
that they know how to spot talent, although several studies have shown that
this claim does not stand to scrutiny. The only two ways I know how to choose a “correct
candidate” are to look at their past activities and performance and at their passion for
the task they choose.
Two great educators have
commented on “evaluations” several decades back. Carl Rogers said in essence that when you “evaluate”
a human being, you “devalue” them. John
Dewey said that external evaluation is inimical to growth, and self-evaluation
is more effective in learning and improving. The reason this practice is
prevalent because it is easier to do when dealing with large number of people
and it has a number attached to it. It is easier to document for comparisons. It
also happens that some managers use evaluations to “fire” someone they do not particularly
like!
John Dewey compares children’s
play and adult’s work. In play, the end result is not important; the process
is. In adult work, the end is the priority. Process is not. If the end result
is something to be proud of or meaningful, one can transfer that satisfaction
to the process of work and enjoy it. If not, work becomes unpleasant. John Dewey says: “Exclusive interest in the
result alters work into drudgery”. (Incidentally the word “robot” means
drudgery or serf labor or hard work in the Czech language, coined by Josef
Kopec. This word “robot” was used for the first time in literature by his brother Karel Kopec
in his famous play called Rossum’s Universal Robots or R U R, published in
1921)