My problem with KPIs is that it’s so damn easy for a bean counter at HO to just routinely adjust them upwards even though they are unfamiliar with the conditions at the grass roots. It also appears in a lot of ‘how to run a company’ books that the staff are supposed to always be yearning to ‘improve’ their stats by continually getting more done with less. This is completely unrealistic imo. American hustle culture being imposed from the top down in the name of efficiency, but really to make the HO bean counter look good in comparison.
spoiler
As a person with a disability, who is essential if the org is going to meet it’s diversity and inclusion obligations, then I think you may be able to negotiate a more realistic KPI. Be warned though that this is a very risky move if you want promotions.
Also, having senior staff members seconded elsewhere is a major red flag for ‘sub-par’ KPI assessments. And something of a get out of jail free card too if played correctly.
I need to verbalise it, because it IS a problem…and realistically, I’m probably very well placed to mention the concerns of the whole team, given that “finding the KPIs unrealistic” would be down to an identifiable medical issue in my case and they supposedly can’t penalise me for that.
But lordy me, I hate to play the “please hold me to different standards than my colleagues, I can’t do it!” card. I was really, really proud of not being judged by different standards until now. I was genuinely proud and happy to know that I was “good enough” and deserved to be there off my own effort.
My problem with KPIs is that it’s so damn easy for a bean counter at HO to just routinely adjust them upwards even though they are unfamiliar with the conditions at the grass roots. It also appears in a lot of ‘how to run a company’ books that the staff are supposed to always be yearning to ‘improve’ their stats by continually getting more done with less. This is completely unrealistic imo. American hustle culture being imposed from the top down in the name of efficiency, but really to make the HO bean counter look good in comparison.
spoiler
As a person with a disability, who is essential if the org is going to meet it’s diversity and inclusion obligations, then I think you may be able to negotiate a more realistic KPI. Be warned though that this is a very risky move if you want promotions.
Also, having senior staff members seconded elsewhere is a major red flag for ‘sub-par’ KPI assessments. And something of a get out of jail free card too if played correctly.
I need to verbalise it, because it IS a problem…and realistically, I’m probably very well placed to mention the concerns of the whole team, given that “finding the KPIs unrealistic” would be down to an identifiable medical issue in my case and they supposedly can’t penalise me for that.
But lordy me, I hate to play the “please hold me to different standards than my colleagues, I can’t do it!” card. I was really, really proud of not being judged by different standards until now. I was genuinely proud and happy to know that I was “good enough” and deserved to be there off my own effort.
And now I have to swallow that.
Play the senior staff seconded elsewhere card as hard as you can.