Managers have for many years been evaluated against standards of personal traits and work characteristic. Typical trait-rating evaluation systems may list ten to fifteen personal characteristics, such as ability to get along with people, leadership, analytical competence and initiative. The list may also include such work-related characteristics as job knowledge; ability to follow through on assignments, production or cost results; or success in seeing that plans are carried out.

Managers resist doing this type of evaluation or tend to go through the paperwork without knowing exactly how to rate. Even in firms that have made earnest attempts to