Say Goodbye to Dread: Why 1-to-1s Beat Annual Performance Reviews

Who actually enjoys those annual performance reviews? Please .. Anyone?

The dreaded date in your outlook calendar, the nervous anticipation and let us not forget the amount of work that goes in to some of those appraisal forms for it to be rarely looked at ever again - Honestly, it feels more like judgement day than a productive conversation.

BUT what if there was a better way?

Forget those once a year sit downs. It is time to embrace the power of 1-to-1 meetings.

Think about it for a second..

Instead of waiting a whole year to get feedback, you're getting regular check-ins, meaning you can course correct quickly and avoid any unpleasant "surprises" when you annual review rolls around and reveals things you had no idea where a concern and really, should've been bought up before.

Lets be honest here, dwelling on past mistakes can be a drag; 1-to-1s are all about looking ahead, setting new goals, identifying current challenges and figuring out how to crush them with the right support - in the moment.

Imagine this: instead of a tense annual review, you have a relaxed conversation your manager every couple of weeks. You discuss your wins, you have honest and open discussions about any struggles and brainstorm solutions together. Sounds much better, right?

The bottom line is, 1-to1s are not just about performance. They are about building a strong working relationship, fostering open communication and setting yourself up for success; You might just be surprised at how much more productive and fulfilling your work life becomes.

DISCLAIMER: This is just my two pennies - every team and every individual is different, but hey - its worth giving it some thought!