The season for MERIT evaluations, those important milestones in our careers, is almost upon us. Among the many traps awaiting the supervisors carrying out these evaluations is the so-called mirror effect: a phenomenon in which we tend to appreciate people who are like us. Studies have even shown that this effect comes into play in 60% of performance evaluations! And it’s all the more prevalent when it comes to evaluating skills such as communication, efficiency, customer service, etc.

Susan*: “My supervisor François* criticises me for chatting too much with my internal clients. However, all of the programmes I’m responsible for are running marvellously well, to the full satisfaction of the people who use them.”

Although Susan has all the raw data, she spends lots of time listening to her clients in order to understand their needs. François, on the other hand, is more at ease with rational analysis than interpersonal relationships. He likes to convince, and be convinced, by numbers and tables. He therefore naturally tends to appreciate people who operate in the same way. This is why he frowns on Susan’s frequent interactions with her clients. So how objective is François’ opinion about Susan’s performance? Can he accept that not everyone works in the same way as him and that others might reach their objectives via different routes?

The MERIT interviews are important milestones in our careers, since our future professional lives depend, in part, on the appraisal of our supervisors and the evaluation of our performance. It is therefore in everyone’s interests to ensure that the exercise is conducted in an objective manner.

This is why, as supervisors, we must be aware of our prejudices and remember that we project a lot of ourselves into the evaluation of our colleagues. By taking a step back and limiting ourselves to judging observable facts, we open the door to constructive dialogue and focus more on the development potential of our colleagues than on the final “grade”. In this way, we can uncover the full extent of the skills of every member of our team.

*Names have been changed

Pierre Gildemyn

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