Did you know that employees aren’t the only ones who dread annual performance reviews? This week, we learned that more than 60 percent of managers would do away with them if they could. Read on for more management tips and insights from the past week.
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Adobe has released the findings of a comprehensive study exploring the efficacy of annual performance reviews. Per the report, which surveyed 1,500 employees and managers, the vast majority of people agree that the established review process is outdated and ineffective. What’s more, 80 percent of employees said they’d prefer ongoing, iterative feedback with managers to once-a-year reviews that reflect feedback that’s collected over several months.
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Fast Company asked several managers to share their tips for inspiring creativity from their teams. One founder recommended to “lead by questioning,” that is, to open the conversation up to the team’s ideas before presenting your own. The simple act of asking an employee, “What do you think?” can go a long way in terms of empowering people to speak up and be bold when it comes to proactively bringing new ideas to the table.
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As a manager, productivity is the name of the game. Beyond managing your own workload, you are responsible for ensuring your team has everything they need to be as efficient and productive as possible. Proven productivity hacks include establishing a morning routine (and sticking to it!) and viewing the day in minutes—not hours.
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Earlier this week, Strategy+Business published an excellent long-read highlighting the differences between confidence and hubris. Among executives and managers, humility is the single most important trait when it comes to indicating future success. As a team leader, confidence is a positive and necessary quality, but it should not come at the expense of having an open mind and demonstrating a willingness to accept responsibility.
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If you’re looking to improve your public speaking skills, look no further than outgoing President Barack Obama. Per Inc., Obama’s use of strategic pauses during his speeches demonstrate his strong grasp of the best practices of effective communication. Up your game instantly with this quick tip: instead of leaning on cognitive fillers (like, um, uh, etc.), simply pause as you collect your thoughts between words and phrases.
