In a recent Wall Street Journal Rachel Feintzeig published an article Welcome to the Never-ending Performance Review. She describes how many companies are moving to employee performance reviews with greater frequency than the traditional annual event.
Would this really be necessary if managers knew what their employees’ life goals and career aspirations are?
One of my favorite leadership books is Behind Closed Doors by Johanna Rothman and Esther Derby. The authors talk about the manager’s role in developing people through one-on-one meetings once a week or twice a month. These are not performance reviews fitting into a formula generated by software using algorithms. Instead, they are employee-focused meetings requiring curiosity and genuine interest from the manager. The discussions are built on trust that the manager has the career goals of each individual at heart and a genuine motivation to make a contribution to the company’s goals together.
This concept seems so simple, yet companies move further away form the personal to embrace the digital. As long as people exist, managers will need to focus on people, not algorithms in order to be successful.
Do we really need the never-ending performance review, or do we just need to get back to building relationships?
If retention is going to be the biggest challenge in the next 10-20 years, expecting managers to connect rather than review should be the focus.
Start learning how to establish a culture of connection right now and get ahead of the next fad of constant performance reviews by contacting me right now.