Stop Handing out 5's Like Candy!

Those of you that have been in my world for a while know that I am not a fan of annual reviews. Mainly because most companies don’t make the effort to do them well. They pull out the form and check all 5’s so that they don’t hurt the employees’ feelings and treat them as a quick check the box exercise so that HR leaves them alone. And let’s be real—most annual reviews are dreaded by everyone. They’re uncomfortable, they’re awkward, and most of the time they don’t actually improve performance. But if you are willing to put in the effort and do them right - they could.   Today, I am going to walk you through 4 things that will make your annual reviews more effective—and way less painful. 1. Don’t wait all year – use annual reviews as a summary of your ongoing 1:1 conversation. 2. Stop handing out 5s like candy – Normalize Meets expectations as the standard so ratings mean something. 3. Set clear goals – because if they don’t know where they are going, they are already off track. 4. Get the employee’s perspective – self-evals aren’t a hoop to jump through; they’re insight into how the employee sees their performance. Reviews are a chance to celebrate growth, realign expectations, and talk about the future—not just rehash the past. If you stop treating annual reviews like a chore and start using them as a tool for connection and clarity, everyone wins—your employees, your leaders, and your culture. 🎧Don’t forget to subscribe for more leadership and business tips!   The truth is that most managers are expected to lead without ever being taught how.  I've created The Managers Playbook to solve this problem. It's a short practical leadership toolkit designed for real managers working with real world team. It isn't theory or fluff. It's a set of practical, proven tool that you can start using today! https://www.lftconsult.com/the-managers-playbook   Additional Resources: https://www.lftconsult.com/smallbusinesstoolbox https://www.lftconsult.com/transformyourbusiness