PAMS is a very useful tool for assessing personal management skills. Those used in the handout are very good indicators to harness information from the responders. Nevertheless, some improvements could be made to these handouts (both associates and personal versions) in order to achieve better results. The first critique would be to have a different order of presenting the questions. Carlopio and Andrewartha point out that the way questions and indicators are given will influence the feedback given from the responders.
In the associates version, the ‘routine problem’ evaluation question should have been made prior to the ‘reaction in stressful, time-pressured’ question. In fact, this question should have been made after the one requesting the feedback from ‘complex or difficult problems that do not have a straightforward solution’. In this order, we would have a gradual gathering of feedback from the small and low difficulties problem reaction to the higher ones. Another modification would be to remove the first question requesting the level of self-knowledge that people have.
This should be put at the end. People tend either to overvalue their personal skills or to undervalue them. Being put in the end, their evaluation of personal skills can be deducted from all the evaluations made for the other questions. The changing of position for the self-evaluation question is valid even for the personal version. Many times an individual does not even have a clear idea of their personal skills. If this question is ranked last, they might have a clearer idea and make e better evaluation. Another set of indicators that need more attention is the last three regarding the empowerment of others through delegation of work and support. These questions should not be left last.
Another critique for the PAMS assessment would be to incorporate more questions regarding interest in work. One might possess all the skills necessary to perform a specific job, but a lack of interest in it can result fatally. What one is interested in or has a passion for in a workplace is very important in determining the performance they will have. Yet another interesting indicator would be that regarding time span capabilities. Timespan capability is crucial for the development of personal management skills. The same argument as for interest in the job is valid for time span capability.