Friends at home, Enemies at office

Call it a bell curve or relative grading; appraisals at work are often disheartening for those who perform slightly inferior compared to their colleagues. Being into professional life for four years now, one thing I find very similar every year during the month of July when the appraisals are announced – the disappointment. It is seen on almost on everyone’s face coming out of Boss’s cabin. Some have momentary depression, some continue with a sloppy mood for a week. The level of disappointment takes a roller- coaster ride when your friends continuously ask you “how much you get?”. A wry smile on your face says it all. It blasts out when you find your best friend in office, with whom you go for lunch every day, getting more than you. Within a moment, the world takes a turn where Friends at home becomes Enemies at office.

I truly believe the appraisals are performance indicators and help one individual to grow continually through his career. It asks for a healthy competition amongst the employees. But the grass is not always green on the other side. In some cases, it can bring on negative feelings by comparing the materialistic perk with your close peers. Whenever a comparison comes, the cubicles between colleagues turn out to be the battleground fences.

But the hidden grudges, rift, friction between employees can be sorted out. Instead of comparing one employee with the other, why don’t we come up with a model where one employee is compared with his own reflection? A model where his competitor will be himself; where he will be judged with his previous year’s performance. In this way, an employee will not blame anyone else, but himself/herself for the poor show. And am sure, a motivated employee will always try to overcome his/her shortcomings and give their best performance the subsequent year.