by CareerActually contributor, Peter Luscombe

This is Part 2 of the five-part series. Read Part 1 here.

Arriving at Mr Murdoch’s office space, Ms Worthington knocked on the door. The new supervisor’s open door policy bemused her because she was used to knocking on Mr Brannigan’s closed door and waiting to hear the passing-through of ‘Enter’ voiced, or for Mr Brannigan himself to open the door. Mr Murdoch looked up from surveying some paper work and waved her in.

‘Ah … Ms Worthington timely as usual. Take a seat. I see you have the required file with you. Good. I’ll just finish with these papers. Feel free to make yourself a coffee or a cup of tea.’ He nodded his head towards a side table with all the accoutrements for tea and coffee making, then returned to his reading. Jan felt tempted by the spread of different teas – Earl Grey, Assam and English Breakfast – however forwent the social ritual of tea making. This was one of Mr Murdoch’s changes – sharing quality tea and coffee with his colleagues. Jan kept her ambivalence about the practice to herself.

Looking around Mr Murdoch’s office space remained still a tad disconcerting. It wasn’t as if she disliked the Minimalistic style, indeed, she was entirely sympathetic, even charmed, by the clean, crisp appearance. It was just so different! ‘That almost Mondrian painting in singularity on an off-white wall is striking,’ she thought. ‘Really quite a wonderful example of Neo-Plasticity. Of course, an original,’ she mused to herself. ‘Probably picked up at some small gallery showing of a budding artist. I can’t fault that M has good taste.’ She caught herself in the unaccustomed slip of mentally referring to Mr Murdoch as M in her mind. ‘Such familiarity was fine out of his presence, however, not at all appropriate in his presence,’ Ms Worthington chided herself.

Thankfully Mr Murdoch at that point closed the folder of papers, then placed the folder in the appropriate tray. Mr Murdoch, like Ms Worthington, had a system of: ‘Everything in its place and a place for everything.’ Both met in practice another motto she held in esteem. Indeed, Mr Murdoch’s desk was as clear as hers; something which struck her with approval the first week he took over. Across the pristine space Mr Murdoch smiled. Ms Worthington gave one of her slight lifts of her mouth as she passed across the folder for Mr Murdoch’s surveyance.

‘So, give me a summary of what’s contained within,’ Mr Murdoch said as he placed a firm, square hand on the folder before him. Much to Mr Murdoch was square and solid. Though only in his mid-forties, he was a well groomed man with a touch of distinguishing grey to the sides of a close cropped head of hair. He wore his usual pastel shirt and tie with distinction. Before speaking Jan noted again to herself that as customary his tie was loosely knotted – relaxed. Jan quickly gathered her thoughts, then launched into a business-like summary.

‘Right. Well done, Ms Worthington,’ Mr Murdoch exclaimed in approval. ‘Very well done.’ She felt a frisson of satisfaction. Mr Murdoch had nodded along with each point she out laid. She knew what she’d reported was well received. There’d only been one moment, a minor glitch, when she’d mentioned how she’d contacted the company lawyer to reassure herself about one point of policy. Jan had dismissed what seemed a slight crease between Mr Murdoch’s brows as her over active imagination. She advanced with the next point of summation and all was fine. Convinced that she’d done an efficient and proficient job, her shoulders relaxed as she looked across the pristine space between herself and Mr Murdoch.

‘Yes … excellent,’ Mr Murdoch broke the hiatus. ‘There’s one or two points I need to refer back to and will have more to say. For now let’s move matters right along. I’ve arranged for a Performance Appraisal to be conducted this week.’ Ms Worthington felt a slight crease in her brow and aware of this blinked her eyes and let Mr Murdoch continue with her full attention. ‘A PA has been neglected, so it’s now a priority. Andrea will over-see the procedure. Here,’ Mr Murdoch reached for a folder on top of the appropriate tray, opened it and passed across a piece of paper, ‘is the internal memo which will go out today. Given your customary, supervisory capacity I thought it best you knew first.’

The memo sat between them. She felt a qualm of uncertainty as she picked it up and skimmed. She recognized the brisk jargon – ‘… this is an objective process … a rating from 1 to 5 will be employed … peer appraisal will be included … performance strength and weakness will be identified …’ Biting back words, she said, ‘Excellent. As you said, long over due. Andrea will do a good job supervising. Would you like me to liaise?”

‘No need,’ Mr Murdoch’s words felt like a door closed in Jan’s face.

As she walked back to her work station, many thoughts passed through her mind. ‘Well, this should be interesting … I wonder how many slackers will get called out … I feel sorry for some.’ As she advanced past Geoff’s work station Jan noted he was buried deep in some reading. There was now a cold cup of coffee by his right hand – neglected. Looking forward with determination, neither head left nor right, Jan passed Brad’s. Coming to Simon’s work station she noted an empty chair. ‘Now where could he have skipped off to?’ In Jan’s mind Simon moved too freely around the office. ‘He ought to be at his desk. Not flitting around.’ Unexpectedly, she realized she had the memo in hand and it looked slightly crumpled from her tight grip. ‘I really don’t know why I feel so on edge. I do my job well.’ With that thought foremost in mind, Jan advanced past Sophie’s work station.

Arriving at her work station, Jan placed the slightly crumpled memo face down on her desk, turned to boot up her work PC, then sat in thought for a few moments. Through her mind run snippets of an article she’d recently read in ‘The Age’ newspaper about Performance Appraisal:

… performance rating …

 … ratings are not a reliable reflection of an employee’s overall performance …

… more often than not, they’re indicative of the manager’s idiosyncrasies …

 … scholars believe it’s beyond the cognitive capacity of managers to record and remember the performance of all employees over a 12-month period …

… performance ratings compel employees to compete with each other rather than collaborate …

At the time of reading, she’d nodded her head in agreement with each comment. Such observations agreed with her outlook. Mr Brannigan would have been in total agreement as well. ‘How ironic?’ she thought. ‘Days later the whole charade is proposed by M. Really! What a waste of time in my opinion. Even though not long in the job surely Mr Murdoch knows who does what around here!?’ With that thought firmly in mind, Jan set to tackle the next task of her work day.

Much  later that day, Jan leant into the sumptuous, white cushion on her couch, glass of white wine on the coffee table, the TV muted and she very comfortable in her white bath robe after a relaxing bath. Tomorrow was scheduled her PA ‘conference’ with Mr Murdoch.  Mixed thoughts flowed through her mind:

… pity Brad and I had to cancel dinner … still … I’d prefer a quiet night in …

… I was discrete yet frank with the Peer Appraisal …

Jan smiled to herself.  She reached for the glass of wine and took a small sip. The fruit of the wine glided across her palate, then finished on a crisp note. ‘Truly an excellent vintage and excellent value,’ was Jan’s judgment.

… I think I impressed with the ‘fact’ I’m well-read. Keep up-to-date …

Jan smiled to herself again, took another sip of wine and maundered on:

… a few … well … odd questions asked … still …

Jan again sipped her wine, then leant forward to take the TV Remote and switched off the TV. ‘All rubbish as usual!’ She settled back in comfort to continue her appraisal.

… Poor Geoff … he’s been on tenter hooks all week … the poor dear’s been like a rabbit struck in the headlights of an on-coming vehicle …

… in comparison Sophie has been quite cool … didn’t expect that … hmmm … though when I did ask her …  … she jumped like a startled rabbit …

… Andrea did a good-fist-of-the-job … I might have handled matters differently but give credit where credit is due …

Jan rolled the excellent wine in the glass and sniffed, delicately, its bouquet. She noted to herself how she must make comment to M about the creditable job Andrea did. With a feeling of satisfaction, well-done, Jan rose from her cosy position, rinsed her wine glass and placed it as the solitary item in the dish rack, all else had been cleared away earlier, then proceeded to her room to lay out her clothes for the next day.