Without neutral observation, effective feedback is nearly impossible, whether that feedback is aimed at a process, a group of people, or an individual. When using feedback to help people improve their processes or change behaviors, follow a few simple guidelines to make that feedback effective.

A performance management system like BLOOM aligns your business objectives with employee goals. It enables employees and managers to keep track of goals and performance, and it enables HR to identify top performers as well as employees who are at or below average.

If you follow our blog then you already know that we agree with much of what Marc Effron and Miriam Ort have to say in their book One Page Talent Management. The “must-do’s” in their chapter on talent reviews and succession planning is right on: managers must communicate results of a review with the employee, and they must follow up on action items.

Most employees will stay within or close to their comfort zones. They’ll use self-assessments to justify their conduct rather than change their behaviors.

Have you ever tried a new diet or committed to a New Year’s resolution only to lose momentum a week or two in? Have you asked a friend to check in on your progress or—even better—to join you? That’s a form of peer coaching that helps with accountability, and it’s just as applicable in the office as in the gym.

Before the economic downturn, SHRM reported in 2006 that 40% of workers were likely to change jobs when the economy turns. Has it happened? At Insight, we have used this statistic for years.

Think about why and how you use (or would use) a talent management system. Just to keep track of employee performance and compensation data?

When thinking about your organization’s future, it’s important to think not only about goals, objectives, and initiatives, but obviously how to achieve them. A major contributor is obviously your employees.

When CEOs model the way for effective talent management you see successful system implementations and results. This includes defining clear expectations, setting individual development goals, conducting performance reviews on time, coaching and mentoring individuals, and holding managers accountable to fulfilling the same performance.

Reviewing publicly traded companies, the study’s findings also revealed that companies are redefining the CEO role—separating it from the Chairman of the Board and often moving the former CEO into the Chair position. One advantage to such an arrangement is the deep knowledge the Chair can offer the current CEO.

It’s relatively easy to recite pieces of performance reviews without really thinking about the function they serve or the value they provide. The purpose of performance management is to align employee efforts with business strategies for accurate performance evaluation and feedback for success.

Talent pooling enables you to establish a clear profile and clear expectations so that you can explore possible candidates for key positions, future positions, and positions that are often replicated in the organization.