Are annual performance reviews necessary?

We live in an interactive age where feedback provided constantly from various sources and channels.

Performance review, in my opinion, is an ongoing process. Honest feedback and coaching should be provided by leaders as necessary during the year.

The review intervals can and should be more dynamic

From Human Resources to Talent Management & Business Leadership

Human Resources used to define chosen few as talents. The trend I see has been changed as everyone is a talent these days. 

Do we really manage talent properly? It may sound like a rhetorical question, but it is not. 

The talent management starts during the recruitment phase and should involve other talents from existing team (and not only hiring manager and HR function). 

Once on board, there should be a coherent synchronization between performance evaluation and individual growth plan. If it could also be linked to the team cause / roadmap / development strategy, it could intensify the success on individual as well as team levels.

It is the business leadership task to make sure that all teams are fully synchronized. 

Leadership and the corporate tendency to keep moving on

Big companies could be illustrated as a huge ship, sailing safely, navigating at all seas and in all weather conditions.

As such, it has huge advantages as size does matters. The ship has clear directions, the team is usually experienced and once it is on the move, it will reach its destination.

So, is it the team or the corporate tendency to keep moving on that make it what it is?

The answer, in my opinion is a combination of both, directed by great leadership. 

Creativity ownership and leadership

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." - Steve Jobs

Yes, we are all encouraged to be creative.

Some of our time may be devoted just for that. In a startup company it means doing much more than that. Employees could and should be inspired by making something from nothing regardless of their professional expertise: sales, technical or other professional function. 

Thinking out of the pattern (or the box) is not always intuitive, but it sure creates excitement which is amazingly powerful. In some cases, one does not need to re-invent the wheel, but just re-think about something that did not work in the past, take the lead and do it differently.

Creativity ownership, leadership and innovation can make the entire difference.

Skilled and experienced people can and should be empowered by leaders. When leaders empower their team they form a direct connection to innovation and creativity.

Good managers let their team get on with their tasks so that they are happy with what they have to do. Constant monitoring and innovation just don’t go together...

How to leverage LinkedIn profile and increase your leadership "brand" awareness?

Your LinkedIn profile is your best online business card. You should treat it as such and invest time in updating and improving it.

1. There are many profiles out there. You need to stand out by fine tuning your profile.

2. Describing your role and achievements is fine, but you also need to provide some information about your former (and / or current employer). Since the space is limited, you can use "YouTube" short clips describing your past / current employer. All you need is to add a short link, the system will embed it for you.

3. Want to be noticed? Spread the news about your areas of expertise. The best way do it is joining your group (or groups) of interest and write few posts / start a discussion. Do it consistently and you will become a featured group member, a "top contributor" real fast.

4. Recommendations – this is an important feature. Let your potential audience see what others are thinking about you. Recommendations can tell your professional story in a more personal perspective. It surely has an add value. Don't be shy - ask for recommendations wherever it feels appropriate. Take a look at my profile,

By following these relevantly easy steps you may increase your exposure dramatically. I have tried to implement what I have learnt: http://il.linkedin.com/in/meiramarin

Meir

Business leadership in global economic slowdown.

John F. Kennedy once said: "When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity." Difficult times require fast reaction from one hand and managed change process plan, from the other hand.

It is also the time where business leadership is under enormous pressure, more than the usual, to perform in a decisive way to overcome and cope with the situation.

Some managers may choose the short term approach of dramatically cutting costs by reducing headcount. This is a very effective short-term approach which may contribute to mid-term profitability maintenance. However, it is definitely not a robust solution as the objective problem remains, and it will be much difficult to execute a growth plan with very limited resources and low morale (as a result of massive cut-downs with no long-term plan).

Profitability is not enough; it is the accelerating growth process that creates the sustainable value. The only way it could be achieved is via long-term approach.

Leaders should adjust faster and be even more agile. Sure, some immediate actions are required, but it should be part of long-term approach. Some may say that Crisis is a "great opportunity to learn" but the truth is that no one really likes recession. Leaders need to face reality and make sure that the teams are well informed and aware of the difficult situation. It is more likely that by sharing possible directions toward solutions, the teams would probably be very supportive of management’s decisions.

I am not suggesting that management or leadership is sort of popularity contest. What I say is that unpopular discussions or decision are part of the job of any leader. It should be fairly presented and shared with the teams. Eventually, it will result in support and commitment of team members.

Strong plan, supportive business leadership, empowered teams and healthy corporate culture should contribute significantly to better business preparedness in challenging times.