In order to get some tangible data for the employees' performance review meetings, DreamArts (where I work) is using a Mutual Assessment & Realisation System, where everyone has to pass judgement on his peers. MARS is a very formal process, at the centre of which sits a software application designed specifically for the task of gathering and aggregating this assessment data.

I am not very fond of the procedure, not only because it takes a lot of time (and Friday was probably my first working day that I spent more time in meetings and with administrative work than hacking away on my keyboard -- and I have not even written my weekly report yet), not only because it goes against my Dilbert mindset, not only because I am not comfortable with grading others and would much rather leave that task to the management, but mostly because it is plain impossible for me (and for many others, too, I would presume) to come up with meaningful rankings of more than ten co-workers in twenty (!) categories (ability to prioritise, persistence, proactivity, communication skills, ability to create constructive dissent, cross-departmental co-operation, versatility, ability to acquire new skills, leadership, problem solving, self-motivated learning, accepting advice, risk taking, positive thinking, discipline, creativeness, flexibility, customer orientation, cost-consciousness, being a team player). I just don't know everyone that well (and vice versa). Certainly not after two months on the job.