At The Office

My guy colleague and I were chatting with our boss over Skype when suddenly, our boss sent us the bear hug emoticon:

Followed by a

We blinked our eyes in shock. Has our boss developed a tendre for my guy colleague? Couldn't be me - I'm so not his type

"Maybe he typed it in the wrong window," I surmised. Perhaps the bear hug and kisses were meant for his wife.

Sure enough, right after the kiss, our boss immediately typed, "Whoops. Sorry, I chose the wrong emoticon!"

And a few minutes after that, "Everyone here at the meeting is having a great laugh too when I told them about it."

The look of relief on the face of my guy colleague was priceless. Truly priceless.

Well, it's that time of the year again - giving performance appraisals to my staff. Not an easy thing to do, I can assure you. For feedback works both ways.

I suppose giving performance reviews are beneficial to both the appraiser and the appraisee. Firstly, before giving feedback to others, I need to take a hard look at myself. The last thing I'd want is a pot calling the kettle black scenario.

"Wah, you think my work sucks ar? You think you so great yourself meh?"

That would be an absolutely nightmarish type of response. Every manager's nightmare.

Secondly, the performance appraisal must be objective, offering constructive points of improvement and giving credit where credit is due. It's hard to strike a good balance. I find myself wanting to spare their feelings and at the same time wanting them to improve for the company's sake.

Thirdly, giving them the opportunity to air their grievances and points of improvement so that they can work and develop better. If the first two parts are well taken care of, this part should go smoothly, too. For when the employee feels that you care for their growth and welfare, they will be gracious in their feedback as well. And it's always better to hear their grievances now rather when they are handing their resignation letter to the company. Better nip problems in the bud.

But still. It's not really a time I look forward to. Kinda like my annual trip to the dentist. You know it's good for you but it can be a painful experience if handled wrongly.