The Lesson Pack
Everything in the Performance Management topic, ready to print, share, or pin to your fridge between meetings.
- 1
The Annual Review: A Time for Legal Fiction
⏱ 18 minHow to write a review that neither surprises nor offends.
The phrase 'room for growth' appears 47 times on average.
- 2
Setting Expectations Without Micromanaging
⏱ 16 minDefine success clearly enough to measure, vaguely enough to allow judgment.
It's a tightrope. The hammock was a lie.
- 3
The Feedback Sandwich: Is It Dead Yet?
⏱ 14 minWhy positive-negative-positive feels fake and what to do instead.
Just be honest. People can smell the bread.
- 4
Performance Improvement Plans: The Corporate Probation
⏱ 18 minHow to document underperformance without immediately causing more of it.
The goal is improvement. The paperwork is everyone's enemy.
- 5
Coaching Underperformers (Without the Life Coaching Vocabulary)
⏱ 16 minHelp people improve without becoming their therapist.
Boundaries are still important. The person is still human.
- 6
The Calibration Conversation
⏱ 15 minAlign managers on ratings before HR sees them. Chaos prevention.
This meeting is dreaded by managers worldwide. You're not alone.
- 7
Recognizing Excellence Without Making Others Feel Bad
⏱ 14 minReward top performers without creating a shame competition.
Pizza parties are not the answer. The answer is complicated.
- 8
The Promotion Conversation
⏱ 16 minHow to tell someone they're ready (or not ready) without losing them.
Honesty now prevents dramatic exits later.
- 9
Managing Your Own Performance When Nobody's Watching
⏱ 15 minSelf-management for people whose manager is also drowning.
This is basically just adulting. Good luck.