Here’s an interesting article called “Americans work more, seem to accomplish less” that prompted an equally interesting discussion on the TRDEV Yahoo discussion group. The gist? Whether the mere act of measuring performance itself has a negative impact on employee morale, and thus productivity.

A quote in the article from John Challenger of Challenger, Gray and Christmas explains the perspective: “there’s a trend among companies to measure job performance like never before. There’s a sense that no matter how much I do, it’s never enough,” he said.

To me, it brings us back to the importance of communication in the change management process. If employees understand what is expected of them and what the benefits TO THEM are, the likelihood of positive change is increased. 

What’s your reaction?