Janus, the god with two faces, one on each side of the head, was one of the earliest gods of Rome. Originally the god of gods and benevolent creator, he became the god of change and transitions such as the progression of past to future, of one condition to another and of one vision to another.

The opening month of the year (January, from the word “janua” meaning “gate”) was sacred to Janus, as was the first day of each month. He presided over the start and the journey took care of the completion of any enterprise. His two faces meant that he watched entrances as well as exits, and saw into the internal as well as the external world, left and right, above and below, before and after, for and against.

“Janus” is clearly an ideal symbol to represent this performance management system. Performance management or appraisal systems are about looking back (to review how well we have travelled in the past) and looking forward (to plan what we would like to achieve in the future). It is also a process that most often runs over a one year period and requires constant review (or looking forward) and looking back periodically in order to adjust and maximize our chances of success.