If performance reviews weren’t mandatory I’d say they would never happen.
Why?
Because it requires emotional labour.
It demands the difficult messy work of highlighting a colleague’s weaknesses in such a way that you hope they will still like you afterwards.
But it’s not just performance reviews that this challenge presents itself.
You can see it with any relationship.
‘Should I tell my roommate their messiness is really bothering me?’
‘How do I say it to my spouse that their nose picking is getting on my last nerve?’
‘What’s a nice way to suggest to your teammate they need to spend more time practicing?’
In the face of difficulty, we punt the conversation further down the road.
Or even dismiss the irritating habit/perceived weakness as not that bad or something you can live with to avoid the conversation entirely.
I think in a personal relationship annoyances can be a good opportunity for one to practice tolerance.
I think in a professional relationship, by sidestepping the emotional labour, you are potentially robbing the reviewee of some valuable feedback that could benefit their development.
Thomas Duggan 