Leadership isn't just about making decisions—it's about taking the time to provide meaningful feedback that shapes careers and builds strong teams.

Like many organizations, my organization recently completed its annual performance review cycle, providing feedback to all employees at the end of the calendar year. Stress levels during these periods can run high as these feedback sessions can (and should) be quite personal.

In her book "Radical Candor," author Kim Scott notes, "When delivered well, performance feedback can be a powerful tool for growth. When delivered poorly, it can destroy motivation and engagement." From my perspective, delivering honest, fact-based feedback is both one of leadership's highest responsibilities and what employees crave. While compensation adjustments stemming from positive performance reviews are important and welcome, perhaps what's more valuable is conveying the message about an employee's value to the organization.

Over my career, I have seen multiple variants of performance management systems, ranging from Pass/Fail to 3- and 5-point systems, and even 100-point scales. All are interesting and pose their own value propositions. However, what I have always felt was most important were the comments made by my leadership.

Reflect for a moment and consider if you have experienced any of the following:

- Not receiving a review in a given year without explanation,

- Writing your own review, with your boss simply signing it,

- Receiving feedback that consisted only of "You are doing a good/great job" with no explanation,

- Getting feedback that was obviously created in haste to fulfill an administrative requirement.

These situations are devastating and damaging for both the person and the organization. The reason for these negative effects isn't complex. Humans are inherently social creatures who seek to understand their place in the group. As Daniel Pink discusses in his work on motivation, people have a deep desire to make progress and see the impact of their efforts. Feedback provides concrete evidence of movement toward goals. Simply put, everyone wants to hear their work is valued, that they are an integral part of the organization's success, and that their place in the organization is validated. Even when performance falls short of standards, I strongly believe leaders must deliver clear and actionable feedback that helps employees grow and thrive.

In contrast, even at very senior levels, I've had very positive conversations with my leadership about my contributions and my path ahead. These conversations were marked by several energizing traits:

- Leadership knew the specifics of projects that I, or my team had worked on, reflecting a solid level of interest in our value added,

- Feedback addressed my contributions as a senior leader in the organization, moving well beyond my defined corporate role,

- Comments highlighted areas where I could add more value or increase my focus, forcing me to stay agile and maintain a continuous learning mindset.

What's important here is the time leadership took to consider me as both an individual and a corporate leader. The feedback was direct, actionable, and motivating.

These are all fairly simple concepts which I encourage leaders at all levels to embrace. Failing to seize the chance to provide meaningful feedback is a lost opportunity to remove roadblocks, reset expectations, and recharge our teams. This idea is reflected in Brené Brown's 2010 TED Talk "The Power of Vulnerability" (one of the most viewed talks in the world).

Final thought – practice real-time feedback. This has been emphasized in every book and article I've read on performance management. It's another very simple concept that is perhaps underutilized. A real-time thank you, a few comments showing appreciation, or some quiet, private words of encouragement about addressing professional challenges go a long way toward creating an engaged workforce. As Jack Welch observed, "Real-time feedback is worth ten times more than annual feedback. By the time the performance review comes around, it's ancient history."

NobleReach?? @perfromancereviews @nonprofit