Narratives prepared for the highest-level administrators in an organization might serve as models for other employees (Function Twelve) or as ingredients to be used in building team spirit (Function Four). However, they are not particularly strong models, nor do they provide much information that can be used in a team setting. At best, the unstructured narrative can be used to build documentation and evidence (Function Eight), check perceptions (Function Ten) or clarify roles (Function Eleven)—though several of the other approaches that I am about to describe do a much better job of serving these three functions.
Unstructured Documentation
Like the unstructured narration, the unstructured documentation procedure relies on implicit evaluation criteria. It is often based on self-evaluation. An employee is required to document her activities or achievements in concrete terms: a list of scheduled events, workshop evaluations, achievement awards, quantitative evidence of standards being met, letters of recommendation (which are themselves unstructured narratives), and daily activity logs. Since the employee selects the documents herself, she will be tempted to include only those documents that offer positive evidence of her success on the job. This selectivity is quite understandable—especially in an organization that provides little assistance to employees when they do reveal their weaknesses.
Negative documents are only likely to be included if one of three conditions exist. They will be included if specific standards of performance have been identified in the employee’s job description. They will also be included if the employee’s evaluation is directly linked to a developmental program that will enable her to improve in those areas in which she has documented her own deficits. The third condition requires an appreciative culture.
Both positive and negative documents will be included if the employee is convinced that the performance appraisal process is appreciative in nature and that her strengths and achievements are of central interest to those reviewing the documents. She is willing to risk the disclosure of problem areas and weaknesses because she is convinced that something can be done about these challenges, if she is candid. She might even believe that the appreciative colleagues with whom she works will help her discover the strengths and opportunities for growth that reside within her documented areas of weaknesses.
