One of the really great things about being retired is not having to subject myself to the annual torture known as the performance review. Each year, right about now, I would be writing a page of babble about what I accomplished during the year. I'm so happy to instead be writing a page of babble about why I hated writing that page of babble.
Tonight, I'm taking a moment to savor the fact that I am no longer required to suffer this indignity. Besides avoiding tax season, this is about the best part of not working anymore.
When you've worked in the same job for nearly two decades, it becomes more and more demoralizing each year to participate in this exercise. What did I do this year? How was it different than the gazillions of years that came before? And how on earth do I make it sound important?
And all the time you're really asking yourself, why do we even go through this charade each year? I know it's irrelevant to my raise and bonus, irrelevant to my professional development, and most importantly, unrelated in any way whatsoever to my actual job performance. I'm not entirely convinced anyone actually even read my little essay.
For me, all it ever did was make me crankier than I already was at the holidays. It always felt futile, and for the last few years, it just reminded me how much I lusted after the emancipation of retirement.
I'm coming up on a year of retirement soon, and am more excited about accomplishments of this year than I ever was about my occupational accomplishments. I've read stacks of books, written pages of blog posts, and painted wall after wall of my house. The hours I spent tending my garden, even cleaning my house, produced real, tangible results. I've had the time to take some wonderful writing classes, and to read up on history I never really learned, and economics topics I did learn, but since forgot. Now that's some personal development I feel good about.
I guess the only downside is I'm not getting a raise this year. In fact, the enterprise that is mainly responsible for my income now, namely the stock market, has had a very bad year. It won't be paying any bonuses either.
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Wow, I'm the same, I think those performance reviews are just a waste of time. It's probably better if you just walk in to a room, state how much you want more, argue a little and walk out again!
Luckily for me, I usually use my yearly review not to describe how I have grown as an employee but to ask how I have grown as a person. I usually get positive comments so that makes me happy.
Posted by: Andy @ Retire at 40 | December 05, 2008 at 04:26 AM
Now there's a way to make lemonade out of lemons!
Posted by: Retired Syd | December 05, 2008 at 09:35 AM
I'm with you... I do not miss my annual performance review even though it was always positive. Why? It took time away from my other work which was never ending. For one thing, I was busy doing reviews on my staff, which on any given year could be as many as 85 people.
Reviews can be a huge waste of time, especially those of staff you know well and who are outstanding in their positions. In my case, performance reviews (aka evaluations) were driven by the classified and certificated contracts, and the unions wield a lot of power.
Some day, I'd like to post a HUGE list of everything I don't miss about my former job, but I'm afraid I'd give myself away. I like being anonymous...Analise is my pseudonym.
Posted by: Analise | December 05, 2008 at 12:08 PM
You have perfectly described my feelings! It's so good to know I'm not alone. My last few reviews I just walked in and said, "Tell me where to sign" and "No, I don't want a copy." It definitely had nothing to do with my raise or lack thereof, and in healthcare at my level there are no bonuses.
My term: Annual Exercise in Futility! Thanks for a great post.
~Judy
Posted by: Straw Cottage | December 06, 2008 at 07:58 AM
I was just wondering.
I wonder how the 2 million+ people out of jobs right now would feel about having an annual review? I bet they would just adore one.
I mean, really people?
Can you possibly be so insensitive?
Just hope and pray your money sustains you and you don't have to go looking for a job in your 50's and 60's. There are millions of people out there who don't even know where their next meal is coming, let alone a retirement account!
Posted by: alice | December 06, 2008 at 07:09 PM
@Alice (Alicia, Morrison, Maria, Boomie, Cinzea, Anthony), so sorry to have offended you. It was not my intent.
Posted by: Retired Syd | December 07, 2008 at 01:49 AM
Thank you. All of us thank you.
Posted by: alice | December 07, 2008 at 06:45 AM
I agree completely. If the review was actually used, it wouldn't be so bad. My company does make an effort to use them, but the formal part of it is basically a waste. It's the informal part of it that really matters for us.
Syd, you should be happy to know that you are giving bonuses this year. Not to yourself, but I'm sure the people at AIG, Citigroup, GM, Ford, and all the idiots who are now getting help for mortgages they couldn't afford in the first place are all really happy you and I are giving up our income to give them bonuses, parties, or to keep housing artficially inflated.
Posted by: Chad @ Sentient Money | December 08, 2008 at 06:02 AM
@Chad: I hadn't thought about that. I don't remember getting a copy of their performance reviews this year!
Posted by: Retired Syd | December 08, 2008 at 09:00 AM
I don't think they would be getting good reviews.
Posted by: Chad @ Sentient Money | December 08, 2008 at 10:46 AM
wow, did this ever strike a chord with me.
Loved the phrase, the "emancipation of retirement."
Posted by: fern | January 13, 2009 at 02:21 PM