As this topic is top of mind since I led a webinar for ExecSense on COO Best Practices for Conducting Year-End Reviews, I thought it would make sense to discuss a few tips.

  1. It’s not an event; it’s a process – if you look at the yearly review as an event, it will be a waste of time. Instead, view it as a part of your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly routine.
  2. No surprises – you should never show up to a review and be surprised. The most successful and respected leaders provide immediate positive and constructive feedback.
  3. Track progress – even more important than a yearly review is a brief review of progress, goals and potential roadblocks on a quarterly basis. Why wait a year to find out you are way off course?
  4. 360 degree assessments – these can be a good vehicle for obtaining well-rounded and actionable feedback on strengths and opportunity areas.
  5. Leverage strengths – don’t waste all of your energy and focus on correcting weaknesses. You’ll gain more by focusing the 80/20 on leveraging strengths.