They should call reviews something else. The word "review" doesn't conjure anything good.
When you find out that you're due for your annual performance review, does it make you giddy with excitement or leaden with dread? Even if you know you're going a great job, there's no telling what the boss is thinking. There are too many personal/personality quirks involved to make the process fair.
I've mostly gotten very good performance reviews, but I'll never forget the one time, many years ago, when I'd hit it out of the park. My subordinates had performed beyond anyone's expectations and beyond their own capabilities. That was all due to me. I'd coached them and cheered them on. Our little group made the company shine. I was so excited for my review, where the boss would laud me and grant me a raise above and beyond what the guidelines suggested she could give. And out of all the supervisors, she saved my review for the last one of the day. This was going to be damn good!
I settled into the chair and smiled expectantly. Until she threatened to fire me.
I'd "made the other supervisors look bad". I'd stopped off and bought donuts for my crew when they were forced to work overtime on a Saturday. None of the other supervisors brought donuts! How dare I?? I "wasn't part of the team".
"If you're not going to be part of the team, I'll replace the team." I'll never, ever forget those words.*
*Guess who ultimately got fired from the company. Not me!
A bad book review isn't going to threaten my livelihood, but why go looking for trouble? Last I checked, I'd received two good reviews from my LibraryThing giveaway. So I know what's coming next. I don't mind looking at sales. They are what they are. But I'm swearing off reviews.
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