Appraisal Quote by Jeffrey Pfeffer
“Possibly the biggest issue, however, is that performance appraisals focus managers attention on precisely the wrong thing: individual people. As W. Edwards Deming, the father of the quality movement, taught a long time ago, company performance often results more from variations in systems than from the individuals doing the work.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t, Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2010
Performance reviews often target individuals, ignoring that system design drives results more than personal effort.
In simple terms: System flaws matter more than people.
Key Takeaway
Focus on improving systems, not just people.
Themes
management
systems
performance
evaluation
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
business
leadership
When to use this quote
- corporate reviews
- team meetings
- process redesign
Key Concepts
systems thinking
quality management
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance individual accountability with system improvement?
- What steps can you take to influence system design?
A Different Perspective
System changes can be costly and meet resistance.
