Summer Fun

It's summer. Wanna know how I know?

I know it's summer because I am desperately trying to figure out how to avoid completing my annual professional self-evaluation. Is this just the most annoying, idiotic thing or what?

Evidently someone somewhere decided that wasting a huge chunk of my time - time which could be spent working with clients and doing actual, you know - work - each summer is a Very Good and Wise Thing. I complete this (supposed) self evaluation so that those in charge can then tear it to shreds.

There is no way around it. The eval will get torn to pieces. And believe me, over the years, I've tried numerous ways to avoid, or at least, minimize what eventually turns out to be a collosal waste of my valuable time.

I've tried being totally honest about MY perception of my performance. That doesn't work. Nearly every score is modified by the bosses - sometimes for the better (A Good Thing), and sometimes not (Not a Good Thing).

I've tried the false modesty approach, rating myself lower than what I actually believe I deserve. That also doesn't work. While some areas are modified to reflect a higher rating, others are deemed acceptable and I wind up knowing I totally screwed myself.

So WHAT is the friggin POINT? Can someone please explain to me why I should spend 8 to 10 hours pulling my hair out, trying to be "objective" about my abilities and performance, when the higher-ups are going to finagle the ratings so that they (coincidentally and conveniently) mesh with the fixed percentage requirements for allocation of budgeted merit increases?

My only consolation is this: where normally after an evaluation I would then get to sit down and chart out my challenge areas for the following year and formulate multi-step quantifiable processes by which those areas will be addressed (a task that sucks up another 20 or so hours)...I get to skip this step this year. Because I'm quitting. No, really.