Ask For Your Review

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, recently wrote in his weekly BusinessWeek column about performance reviews in response to a reader's question. In his article he wrote that he when he speaks to business audiences he often asks the question, "Over the past year, how many of you have received an honest performance appraisal that really tells you where you stand?" He indicated he typically only gets about 10% of the people that raise their hand. How sad is that?

How in the world do you as an employee know how you are doing on the job if you don't get honest feedback from your superiors? More importantly, if you are a manager or running your own company, how do your people know whether they are delivering the performance your company needs and expects if you don't tell them?

A review can be a scary thing for both the reviewer and reviewee. There is a high likelihood that feelings could get hurt, people could get angry. Is that necessarily a bad thing? There's no doubt that we have matured into an age where people in general have a hard time being real and giving honest feedback to those who most need it. For many managers the easier path to take is to avoid having deep and meaningful conversations with their employees at all. They fear the knee-jerk responses but fail to appreciate the value of an employee hearing where he or she is doing well and where things could be better (no one's perfect by the way). Failure to get that feedback as an employee or to give it as an employer if you ask me is just plain wrong. After all you hired these people and they accepted the job from you for a reason. Why not help them be all that they can be for your company - a review provides the platform to make that possible.

Here's the thing, most organizations know right now whether an employee is doing a good job or not. As an employee wouldn't you want to know whether you are making the grade? Wouldn't you want to know if there are things that could be improved in order to secure your future with the company? An open and honest review is the only way you can hear how you are measuring up and where you need to make the necessary changes to improve your performance.

If your an employer, manager or business leader....take the time to sit down and give your employees a review. You owe it to them.

If your an employee and you don't get performance reviews/appraisals regularly....ask for them.

Regardless of which role you have, the Ripple Effect of this simple action can help you understand where things stand today and open the possibilites of what is achievable tomorrow.

Ripple On!!!

Share Praise and Recognition

I have been working with a young lady that is my direct interface for a major corporation out in the valley. She functions as a sales liaison for this company and has been a delight to work with. I so enjoy working with her and appreciate her efforts on my behalf that much I decided to tell her.

I took the time to make sure she knew that I considered myself extremely fortunate to be working with her and that she has become one of the main reasons building a relationship with this large corporation is appealing. I shared with her all the qualities that made her fun and easy to work with and I expressed how lucky her company is to have her working for them. As you would expect she was completely blown away by my heartfelt acknowledgment of her and her hard work. It was obvious to me that recognition and thanks was not something she often received through the partners she works with and it was long overdue.

To be clear I didn't offer her these positive strokes because I had some higher agenda. I don't work like that. I simply told her what I feel about working with her and how much her efforts on my behalf have been appreciated. Simple, straightforward, extremely real and oh so very true.

Fast forward a few months to today. I am in the process of pitching a significant proposal that could significantly impact the future of one of my business interests. The plan is bold. The plan is daring. The plan ultimately is a direction I don't think the company had even considered.

It requires buy in from those people at the highest levels of the company. People I have yet to gain official access to - or even know are part of the decision tree. Yet doors are opening up to me. Meetings are being held about what it is I want to do. Things are progressing and when you step up to the plate at this level, that's all you can hope for.

In the end I know who's embraced this proposal the most. I know who is in the trenches fighting to gain me the audiences that I most need to have. I can feel the momentum being created by someone who has become my internal champion. She's battling to get the proposal the exposure and consideration it will need if it is to go anywhere. Progress is being made and I am quite sure it would never have happened if not for this young lady.

Where might I be today if I hadn't shared how much I appreciated and admired her?

Who right now in your world holds the keys to the kingdom that you aren't recognizing or appreciating?

Maybe it's time you opened your mouth and said something. Who knows where those Ripples might lead you.

Ripple On!!!

Need Your Help To Get Picked For SXSW

I have submitted two panels for this year's upcoming SXSW Interactive Conference. Panels are chosen through an online vote and voting ends August 29th. Would you be so kind as to take a moment to vote for my two panels and leave a comment?

SXSW 8 Minute Ripple

This fun facilitated connection activity is perfect way to help participants strip away the fear and discomfort of traditional “networking” and really connect through a process called Rippling. Attendees will find that the connections that will be made will support and enhance their SXSW experience. Stop Networking. Start Connecting!


Next Generation Email Messaging

Email is a critical and profit dependent function of any business. Next generation messaging technology will allow organizations to secure and protect their email infrastructure and collaborate in ways that will change the way people work, communicate and function. Quit using yesterday’s technology and come see today’s new email jazz.


Your help in voting and spreading the word on these two great panels is greatly appreciated!

Ripple On!!!