Han Feizi
Match the deed to the word
What was said, what was done
Han Feizi, The Way of the Ruler; The Two Handles
The hard part of review isn't setting standards. It's what you do when the standard and the facts disagree.
What actually happened?
Han Feizi's method is matching form to name: the official states what he will accomplish (the name), and you check it against what was actually produced (the form). His extreme example: Marquis Zhao of Han fell asleep drunk, and the keeper of the hat, seeing him cold, covered him with a robe. On waking the marquis punished both the keeper of the robes and the keeper of the hat — one for neglect, one for overstepping. Overstepping is the worse harm, because it dissolves the boundary. The principle being established: your own words are the measure.
The standard comes out of his mouth
Let the name define itself and the task define itself. Not a target imposed from above but a commitment stated by the person carrying it. At review there is then no arguing about whether the standard was reasonable — he set it. The only question left is whether it was met.
Rather than assigning a number, have them write what they will deliver this quarter and how it will be judged. Review only that page.
Overshooting counts too
Form exceeding name is also pursued. Doing more looks good, and it means the judgement at commitment time was wrong, and it usually consumed someone else's resources. A system that punishes only shortfalls trains everyone to commit as low as possible.
Everyone sets targets at what they can certainly hit and exceeds them yearly. That organisation no longer knows its own capacity.
Reconcile against the page agreed beforehand
If the ruler is chosen at review time, the whole thing becomes retroactive approval. Matching requires the name first and the form after, with no change in between. Change it once and the system reverts to personal favour.
Swap the criteria at quarter end, however reasonably, and nobody writes a serious commitment next quarter.
How do I use it today?
Where you are: it's review time and the two of you disagree on whether it counts as done.
Ask first: before this started, what standard did he write down himself?
Where it goes wrong: chasing only shortfalls and never overshoots, which pushes everyone to commit low; deciding which ruler to use only after the fact.
Lines to keep
Deed fits the task and task fits the words: reward. Otherwise: punish.
Change the ruler at review and nobody writes a real commitment again.