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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> My annual revue.
        
(Message started by: Mattrf on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:20pm)
Title: My annual revue.
Post by Mattrf on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:20pm
I got my revue Monday and as I have always done in my 20 + years in IT I just shook my head agreed and signed the document and walked out. I have seen too many time in my carrier that when people disagreed with the bosses opinion of their performance that it tends to come back and bite them hard in the ass, so I have never complained or disagreed with my own appraisals.

So I get home and show it to my wife and she goes ballistic, now understand that it was not a bad revue, there are 15 area’s to be judged and there are 6 levels of competence the top three are Fully Competent, Exceeds Expectations and Exceptional.
So out of the 15 I got two Exceeds and the rest where all fully competent so not bad right?

Well I am an IT guy and have been here for just over a year and a half and in that time I have taken a network that was falling apart to the point that these people would freak if the previous IT guy took a sick day because things broke every day, and nothing was reliable, now I can take a two week vacation and they don’t even bat an eye because they trust the stability of the network I built.

I have also implemented a number of technologies that have made all the researchers her at the center much more productive including giving them their own mail system and remote access to mail and all of their research data no matter where they are in the world, no small feat and this is just a couple things, I have also took on a UNIX server that was not here when I started and I am not a UNIX guy but have taken training and now maintain it as well, I also have put in many long nights and weekends doing upgrades and solving problems so when they come to work they would have the systems available to use. When I was hired the users would not even store there data on the server because they did not trust it now everything is on the servers and backed up nightly and I have done restores for them that proved the reliance of the network and the backups and how important it is to have a solid network.

I showed my review to a couple people I work with and there response was WTF! I have never been one to brag about my abilities, I just do whatever it takes to get the job done and do it with a smile. I know that I am a rare IT guy because I am not a control freak and I have great customer service skills and I am very good at what I do and I get told this on almost a daily basis by the people I work with including the head researchers so why would I get a review like this?

And lets top this off with the constant pain I have been in for 15 months now but still seemed to be able to do my job and do it well no small feat as you all know it is hard enough just to keep your job let alone do it well especially a job that is always taxing a brain that already hurts.

Yes I know I am lucky to have a job, and being able to keep it and keep the level of quality work with the pain in my head has been no small feat, but I guess I just feel I deserve a better representation of my work in my review, and my raise will be based on this as well.
So for the first time I am braking my own rule and I sent a very long email to my boss saying I do not agree with her review of my performance after taking time to think about it and want to go over it again so she can explain why I did not get higher marks when I have done so much for the center, we are going to talk on Monday so guess we will see what she has to say. Funny thing is when she gave me my review she pretty much said I walked on water but the marks don’t reflect what she said or what I have accomplished so I think it is her trying to keep me from getting the raise I deserve.

I know I am winning but I have never stood up for myself when it comes to this type of thing and I feel I have enough backing from the researchers that I can do this with safety and dam it it just isn’t right and I would be willing to bet most of you have experienced reviews that just were not what they should have been.

Sorry for ranting and going on and thanks for reading all this I know it was way too long.

Matt
[smiley=damncomputer.gif]
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by jimmers on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:28pm
Funny thing is when she gave me my review she pretty much said I walked on water but the marks don’t reflect what she said or what I have accomplished so I think it is her trying to keep me from getting the raise I deserve.

BINGO! She's probably trying to get herself the raise that she thinks SHE deserves, at your expense!

JMO,

Jimmers
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by thebbz on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:35pm
Sounds to me like she wants your raise :-X Go in on Monday and get your raise.
Your CH, do you get hit on the left side?
all the best
jb
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by JeffB2 on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:40pm
If one can build a network, one can take it apart. ;;D
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by thebbz on Mar 23rd, 2007, 12:42pm
Jeff you are so bad ;;D glad your back online. [smiley=bigguns.gif]
jb
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Rosybabe on Mar 23rd, 2007, 1:21pm
who is above her?  if she doesn't listen..go even higher!!
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Brewcrew on Mar 23rd, 2007, 1:41pm
I always let my boss know, in no uncertain terms, that I view it as my number one priority to get him promoted. He can choose how he wants to act on it.

Matt, this is management's way of keeping costs down. I wouldn't get too worked up about it. They obviously want you to stay.
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Karla on Mar 23rd, 2007, 2:11pm
Well I do know that around here alot of IT shops are given a chunk of money for raises and the manager has to take that amount and divide it out as best as he can.  He has the problem of making sure everyone gets some kind of raise and giving the high raises to those that deserve it.  Sometimes there are more that deserve it that what remaines in the raise fund.  So unfortunetly some get skrewed.  I quit working for companies that pay like that and went into consulting where you get paid what you are worth.  You may want to consider going that route.  Good luck.
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Peppermint on Mar 23rd, 2007, 3:41pm

on 03/23/07 at 12:20:51, Mattrf wrote:
I got my revue Monday and as I have always done in my 20 + years in IT I just shook my head agreed and signed the document and walked out. I have seen too many time in my carrier that when people disagreed with the bosses opinion of their performance that it tends to come back and bite them hard in the ass, so I have never complained or disagreed with my own appraisals.

So I get home and show it to my wife and she goes ballistic, now understand that it was not a bad revue, there are 15 area’s to be judged and there are 6 levels of competence the top three are Fully Competent, Exceeds Expectations and Exceptional.
So out of the 15 I got two Exceeds and the rest where all fully competent so not bad right?

Well I am an IT guy and have been here for just over a year and a half and in that time I have taken a network that was falling apart to the point that these people would freak if the previous IT guy took a sick day because things broke every day, and nothing was reliable, now I can take a two week vacation and they don’t even bat an eye because they trust the stability of the network I built.

I have also implemented a number of technologies that have made all the researchers her at the center much more productive including giving them their own mail system and remote access to mail and all of their research data no matter where they are in the world, no small feat and this is just a couple things, I have also took on a UNIX server that was not here when I started and I am not a UNIX guy but have taken training and now maintain it as well, I also have put in many long nights and weekends doing upgrades and solving problems so when they come to work they would have the systems available to use. When I was hired the users would not even store there data on the server because they did not trust it now everything is on the servers and backed up nightly and I have done restores for them that proved the reliance of the network and the backups and how important it is to have a solid network.

I showed my review to a couple people I work with and there response was WTF! I have never been one to brag about my abilities, I just do whatever it takes to get the job done and do it with a smile. I know that I am a rare IT guy because I am not a control freak and I have great customer service skills and I am very good at what I do and I get told this on almost a daily basis by the people I work with including the head researchers so why would I get a review like this?

And lets top this off with the constant pain I have been in for 15 months now but still seemed to be able to do my job and do it well no small feat as you all know it is hard enough just to keep your job let alone do it well especially a job that is always taxing a brain that already hurts.

Yes I know I am lucky to have a job, and being able to keep it and keep the level of quality work with the pain in my head has been no small feat, but I guess I just feel I deserve a better representation of my work in my review, and my raise will be based on this as well.
So for the first time I am braking my own rule and I sent a very long email to my boss saying I do not agree with her review of my performance after taking time to think about it and want to go over it again so she can explain why I did not get higher marks when I have done so much for the center, we are going to talk on Monday so guess we will see what she has to say. Funny thing is when she gave me my review she pretty much said I walked on water but the marks don’t reflect what she said or what I have accomplished so I think it is her trying to keep me from getting the raise I deserve.

I know I am winning but I have never stood up for myself when it comes to this type of thing and I feel I have enough backing from the researchers that I can do this with safety and dam it it just isn’t right and I would be willing to bet most of you have experienced reviews that just were not what they should have been.

Sorry for ranting and going on and thanks for reading all this I know it was way too long.

Matt
[smiley=damncomputer.gif]


That above in bold is pretty much what it looks like.  You make her look good, she'll take the credit for a stable cost-effective network,etc.  If she gives you the credit, she may not be rewarded for all "her hard work" .  ;D

Review your post and on a clean sheet outline the key points you made.  You can point them out to her.  

If she doesn't change anything, I'm sure somewhere on that review is room for the reviewee's feedback.  If you feel you need to, put down all you've down in writing, so that at least it's on the record.  

You don't have to make big waves, but I find documentation is key.

Good luck!
Pep
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Mattrf on Mar 23rd, 2007, 3:56pm
If I do not get her to change it I am going over her head and lucky for me the guy above her is one of the people that thinks I walk on water.

As far as consulting goes been there done that, I did not like it that much and wanted to work at a place where I was helping people or at least helping people that help people instead of just someone’s bottom line.
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Superpain on Mar 23rd, 2007, 5:39pm
Tell her to give you your raise or you will dissolve the network before her very eyes! MUAAHAHAHAA!!! [smiley=bigguns.gif]
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Donna_D. on Mar 23rd, 2007, 5:44pm
A lot of mangagers are "trained" not to give top ratings to anyone....leaves no room for improvement.

I'm with the rest of them...disable the network...

IT giveth and IT taketh away!!!


DD
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by fubar on Mar 23rd, 2007, 5:56pm
Obviously, it's time to become the BOFH.

If you've ever administered a unix box... well I don't have to tell you how accurate this is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOFH
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by fubar on Mar 23rd, 2007, 6:03pm
Matt,

Before you go making waves, decide what you want to gain.  Don't just complain about an inaccurate review, make sure you know what you really are trying to correct.  Do you want more money?  How much?  Are you fighting for a different evaluation?  You have to be careful not to look simply upset with the clinical nature of an evaluation.

On a different note, If I was your boss and I found out that you discussed your evaluation or compensation with another employee... I'd fire you.  At least in my environment, these things are confidential, period.  Discussing any of the details will get you fired.  Just my 2 cents.

Good luck,

-Shawn
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by BB on Mar 23rd, 2007, 6:12pm

Good on you for standing up for yourself. That is one of the many qualities of a true leader. If you wish to advance yourself in the company, and if there is room to advance, show your confidence and the ability to take the lead.

Even if you dont get the raise in the end, standing up for yourself and speaking the truth will show your strength and character, which will command respect from people around you.

I disagree with the advice to take the system down if you dont get what you want, it doesnt show responsibility nor maturity. If I am an employer, no matter how skillful the person is, if they display such weakness in character I would rather let them go.

You are doing good Matt. Stand up and ask for what you deserve without losing your cool is the way to go.

Best of luck.

Annette
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Mattrf on Mar 23rd, 2007, 6:42pm

on 03/23/07 at 17:56:32, fubar wrote:
Obviously, it's time to become the BOFH.

If you've ever administered a unix box... well I don't have to tell you how accurate this is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOFH


Man not seen the old BOFH in years! I loved it when I first found it I don't think I ever laughed so much in y life! I loved the one where he locked his boss in the stairwell over a three day weekend and cranked the AC to max.  Or opening a floor tile and hitting the alarm so his boss would run in and step in the hole and brake his leg, do you remember the excuse of the day flip chart he talked about, ok it’s the gravitational pull of the earth it too strong to day and is pulling your data off your floppy disk so keep it over your head. God those where great stories.  [smiley=laugh.gif]

Shawn not to worry the person I talked to would not share what I said, I have been doing this for a long time, I am 43, man it hurts just to say that.
and I know how the game works and would never put myself at risk and I was very specific with my boss on why I did not agree with the evaluation but did it in a politely correct way.

Matt
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Kirk on Mar 23rd, 2007, 9:56pm
rm -r  * . *

[smiley=smokin.gif]
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by purpleydog on Mar 23rd, 2007, 10:04pm

on 03/23/07 at 21:56:07, Kirk wrote:
rm -r  * . *


That's one way to do it.  

[smiley=mellow.gif]
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by E-Double on Mar 24th, 2007, 8:54am
I had the same thing occur recently only I didn't sign without commenting. A first as well.

Just make sure that whatever you write goes directly to HR as well.

Good luck and nice going!!!

E
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by QnHeartMM on Mar 24th, 2007, 11:32am
In my management days, I had an employee challenge me on his review. But he took a different approach, which made me step back as a manager.  He said, Ok, so I got an "achieves all". Can you give me some examples of what an "Achieves More" employee would do? In other words, can you help me get from here to there?

It left me flat-footed. I realized he was disapointed in his rating. I told him I'd work with him over the next month to help distinguish the difference.  

Maybe a similar approach would help Matt.

~Christy (aka Mrs. Guiseppi)
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Mattrf on Mar 27th, 2007, 10:57am
I had my meeting with her yesterday and she did exactly I I thought she would do, which is nothing.
She kept telling me how great I was but defending the appraisal, I just kept looking at it in my hands and telling her that I just did not feel it reflected what I had done in the last year. She tried to tell me it was a good review, I asked her if this was a good review then what would an average employee’s look like and her response was oh we would not have an average employee working for us everyone is above that?
I challenged her on attendance and told her I work through lunch at least three days a week I remote into the network at night from home two to three times a week and usually once a weekend to do maintenance or to resolve user problems and even when I am sick I am on-line to help out if someone needs it, she said I know and even when you are on vacation I know you try and check in if you can to make sure everything is ok, ok so then why am I just fully competent at it then, oh well as managers we are expected to do these things, WTF! When I was hired she told me not to give out my cell number because after hours support was not expected or required so now it has changed I guess.
So 45 minutes and nothing changed and I am just more pissed then I was before. She kept telling me how great I was and what a great job I have done but refused to change anything, oh did I say that no one that works for her likes her at all, go figure!
I sent an email out to all the main researchers her at the center asking them to write up a blurb on how they feel about the work and support I have done it the last year and what a difference it has made for them so I can attach it to my appraisal for my permanent record. One of them is her boss, I know kind of dicey to do but I want something in my permanent record showing that I did do a better than average job, and if her ass wines up in the frying pan because of it so be it, by the way her boss is my strongest supporter and is one of the people that appreciates me the most, he has seen me her late at night and on weekends and always tells me what a great job I am doing and how much he appreciates me getting things fixed off hours so he can do his work, he even gave me a Christmas present and the man is Jewish if that tells you anything. [smiley=laugh.gif]

Guess we will see how things go, just hope it isn’t my ass that wines up in the frying pan.  :-/
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by seasonalboomer on Mar 27th, 2007, 11:44am
someday when they bury you everyone will probably want a copy of this review at the funeral and pass it around as a memory of you...NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fuck reviews and all the fuckers who play with people's lives by manipulating them for their own purposes. When I started my company 13 years ago I swore we would never do them. We don't. If something goes wrong, we sit down right after it happens and say, "what happened? how can we make sure it doesn't happen again? oh, and pass the potatoes...."

Corporate America sucks.

Scott
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by fubar on Mar 27th, 2007, 12:15pm

on 03/27/07 at 11:44:53, seasonalboomer wrote:
Fuck reviews and all the fuckers who play with people's lives by manipulating them for their own purposes.



AMEN to that!

Reviews have become pointless BUDGETING justification maneuvers.

For those of you who haven't been through it in the corporate world, here's how it works if you are a manager:

- HR issues their rating scale, something like 1 is crap, and 5 is 'walks on water', so you have a 1-5 scale.  Nobody gets a 1 because if you are a 1 it means you should have been fired long ago.  Ah, but it's not possible to walk on water, right? So NOBODY can be a 5, right?  Anybody who is rated a 5 on anything is OBVIOUSLY being rated by an over-zealous manager, so we don't accept 5 ratings at all.  In fact, HR will show you all these bell-curves showing how it's not possible for anybody to get a score outside of the range that HR likes, essentially 3+ to 4.  They'll accept a 4+ if and only if you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are a GOD.

- Then upper mgt says something like 'we have 3.2% available across the board, now make sure your ratings don't make us have to give raises more than that

- Then all the reviews come in, HR 'normalizes' them so they can't be sued by Joe who got a 1% raise when he rated 4.5 on his review when Sally got a 4% raise with the same review rating or less.

This sounds crazy, but almost every corp does this to some extent.  It sucks ass.

-Fu

- Upper mgt says
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by JeffB on Mar 27th, 2007, 12:26pm
You're in the mecca of high tech, Matt. And you speak english to boot. Post a resume on Monster and see what kind of hits you get brother!
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Racer1_NC on Mar 27th, 2007, 1:31pm

on 03/27/07 at 12:15:43, fubar wrote:
AMEN to that!

Reviews have become pointless BUDGETING justification maneuvers.

For those of you who haven't been through it in the corporate world, here's how it works if you are a manager:

- HR issues their rating scale, something like 1 is crap, and 5 is 'walks on water', so you have a 1-5 scale.  Nobody gets a 1 because if you are a 1 it means you should have been fired long ago.  Ah, but it's not possible to walk on water, right? So NOBODY can be a 5, right?  Anybody who is rated a 5 on anything is OBVIOUSLY being rated by an over-zealous manager, so we don't accept 5 ratings at all.  In fact, HR will show you all these bell-curves showing how it's not possible for anybody to get a score outside of the range that HR likes, essentially 3+ to 4.  They'll accept a 4+ if and only if you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are a GOD.

- Then upper mgt says something like 'we have 3.2% available across the board, now make sure your ratings don't make us have to give raises more than that

- Then all the reviews come in, HR 'normalizes' them so they can't be sued by Joe who got a 1% raise when he rated 4.5 on his review when Sally got a 4% raise with the same review rating or less.

This sounds crazy, but almost every corp does this to some extent.  It sucks ass.

-Fu

- Upper mgt says


Spot on.....that's the way it is.

Do the best you can, play the game, and leave it all there "when the whistle blows".

Oh......one more thing.....look for company run like Scott's. Apply there....

Bill
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by echo on Mar 27th, 2007, 5:09pm
Staff review time is always a difficult time for me.  Not in judging the deliverables of each individual but more in how to divvy up the merit bucket.  Must take into consideration the benchmark salaries of the industry, analyze staff salaries and compare with peers to insure like for like equity.  After that it's their individual performance.  When all is said and done, and working a 4% bucket I have some staff that recieve a 7% raise and others that recieve 1.5 %, and in the worst case due to disciplinary activity Zip.

I am proud to say that my tenure here has changed the salary structure.  For the most part, my female staff is compensated higher than their male counterparts.
Title: Re: My annual revue.
Post by Mattrf on Mar 27th, 2007, 6:27pm
I know I could get more pay elsewhere, hell six years ago I was in Sacramento making 12k more than I am now doing IT consulting but at some point you have to find a place you actually like to work at even if the pay is less. I make a good wage but still far less then I should, but I love working for people that are truly trying to save the lives of people all over the world, gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling at the end of the day and I will trade that for a chunk of salary any day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to make what I should or be recognized for what I do, hell I have had better reviews from a boss that thought I was a threat to him and didn’t like me.
You guys are right it just the way they try to keep the salaries down and not give big increases even if you do walk on water, and I have never been a bragger in the 20 plus years I have been in IT but the network I inherited here and the one these people have today are not even in the same ball park, hell they could not even access their own website from inside the building when I started if that tells you how screwed up things where, they even rebooted the servers every morning or they would crash during the day it was a joke! Now the only time a server is rebooted is because I need to because of an update from Microsoft makes me, this network is rock solid and they can access it from anywhere in the world something else they never had, ok I am getting worked up so I am going to stop now, 30 minutes and I can go home and have a nice tall 7/7 and smoke a half a pack of cigarettes to try and de-stress.

Matt
Love working here just starting to hate my boss.


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