Let’s be blasphemous and go right to the business third rail, the annual performance review that most companies use today and have used for decades and which is almost always tied to a compensation review.
Invariably both the employee and manager dread the days leading up to this process. The manager doesn’t have the time or the interest in stopping their day-to-day activities to do the write-up and then presentation. The employee is nervous that they will get more criticisms than praise as the manager justifies a small raise or possibly zero. What should be an opportunity to recognize and celebrate accomplishments usually does just the opposite. My suggestion is to eliminate this time-wasting, demotivating and damaging process immediately and replace it with a far better system of coaching and teaching on a monthly basis.
As far as the critically important compensation reviews they should be disconnected from performance reviews and done totally separately and can be done on any timeline that works for both parties. Short monthly coaching sessions and compensation reviews go very nicely hand in hand and is a discussion for another day.
I’m sure I’ll be attacked and demonized by a horde of CEO’s and HR managers over eliminating this entrenched process but I’m happy to hear the pro side of the argument.
One last thing, I don’t have anything to sell nor am I looking to write a book or be a motivational speaker. I’m writing this because many wise and talented people generously helped my career along the way and at this stage in my life I’d like to try to pass along their knowledge to the next generation.
Executive Coaching 
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