By Jim Annis, CEO

Traditional performance reviews can be a source of conflict. A slightly negative review can break an employee's morale and be a precursor for their exit. If they are a "keeper," taking a risk is not an option, especially in this competitive market for talent.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article entitled, “Is It Time to Put the Performance Review on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)?”, the number of employers that are either ditching the numerical ranking of employees or tossing out the entire performance review process has grown from 4 percent in 2012 to 12 percent in 2014, as referenced in a CEB survey of Fortune 1000 companies. Does ditching the traditional 1-5 performance ranking and "expected" raises work for your company or against it? We believe it encourages avoidance and is uncomfortable for everyone, and most people don't leave feeling empowered or positive.

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By Anastasia Warren, Marketing Manager

I've recently noticed the amount of people in the world pointing out problems.

Yes, this is needed.

We need to understand the root of the problems we as a society face. We need to identify pain points and different issues.

What I wish I saw more of, are solutions. Discussions about solutions, ideas for solutions.

We often get so bogged down in the problems themselves, that we forget to work together to find an answer — to solve them.

This applies to many things going on in the world right now, but today, I want to talk about the simple topic of millennials in the workplace.

Say "ay" if you have seen an article this week about millennials changing the workplace.

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By Jim Annis

Ah, Valentine's Day is in the air. Romance, proposals, new flirtations and sometimes ... the inevitable big breakup. Well, nothing lasts forever, so that's why it's good to have some guidance on how to manage situations when they go south. Aside from a longtime personal love, breaking up with a long-term business vendor is often of the most painful and uncomfortable breakups you can experience. There are many "types" of vendor relationships: love at first sight, those you trust enough to "marry," and the ones you divorce; and then there are the ones who are "married" to your business family so you would feel horribly guilty about letting them go. So why is breaking up so hard to do?

You're comfortable

The "how do we work with each other?" phase is over, things are easy ... maybe too easy. Perhaps you have been lax about keeping track of your vendor performance and accountability. Remember, any long-term relationship takes work. Comfortable is OK, but there is a slippery slope that occurs when complacency takes the guise of comfort. Each year my wife makes me meatloaf with ketchup and mashed potatoes for Valentine's Day. She has done this for each year together for 35 years. It is her way of saying "I love you," and I simply adore it and her for the effort. How has your vendor pool said "I love you" lately? Do they provide great operational performance? Do they anticipate your needs? Do they listen to your concerns? Do they approach your relationship as a true partnership? If they have not, it might be time to look for someone new with stars in their eyes and common values.

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