[pagefault]

Part of the new program is an explicit focus on frequent feedback. If anything, there ought to be fewer surprises than the current once (twice-ish with midyear discussions) a year feedback.

The risk going forward is that without being forced to a distribution, wishy-washy managers will trend towards the middle. High achievers will be under-compensated, and under-achievers will be overcompensated. The budget hasn't changed, so the same pool of money has to be divided among the same set of people, managers now have more freedom as to how.

[mathattack]

My experience is that wishy washy managers make everyone top rated, therefore nobody is really top rated.

[pagefault]

If everyone gets top rated, then the budget gets applied, everyone gets middling awards. Same result as rating everyone middling in the first place.