Feedback that never sticks is the hurdle where people hear something once, at review time, and nothing changes. This is Week 5 of the 7-week series by Ash Taherian, based on the Performance Management Playbook.
Why it does not stick
- It arrives months after the work, in one annual meeting.
- It is not tied to a clear standard, so people do not know what “good” looks like.
- Peer reviews are too polite: the playbook notes colleagues tend to be too generous with each other, so their reviews rarely give useful feedback.
What the playbook does instead
- Line managers review their team using scorecard statements tied to the talent bar by seniority. Others can add input, but the manager owns the scorecard.
- Results are discussed in the weekly 1:1, not just sent by email.
- Quarterly cadence, so feedback and recognition follow the work closely.
A simple habit for managers
Keep a two-line evidence note per person each week: what happened and which scorecard statement it relates to. At quarter end the performance review template is mostly written already. For tone, see when feedback crosses the line.
Method source: the Performance Management Playbook (QuantumLight), summarised and applied by Ash Taherian. Examples are illustrative, not benchmarks. Ash works at Revolut People, which sells performance software.
Next: see all alternatives to annual performance reviews.
Get the full method: download the free Performance Management Playbook PDF (name + work email).
Free tools: estimate what your review cycle costs with the performance review cost calculator, or see if your HRIS is holding performance back with the HRIS switch checker.
FAQ
How often should managers give feedback?
In the playbook, results are discussed in weekly 1:1s and formal reviews happen every quarter.
Should peers review each other?
Peers can provide input, but the playbook has line managers fill in the scorecards because peer reviews tend to be too generous.