Everybody wants a transparent culture where people know where they stand. Yet I’ve met many CEOs who require managers to write performance reviews, but won’t take the time to do it themselves. When I was CEO, I had a rule that everyone, including me, was held to: if you don’t complete all your written performance reviews, nobody who works for you will receive their raises, bonuses, or stock-option increases. We always had 100 percent compliance on written feedback, because no manager wanted to be burned at the stake by her people. Cultural consistency on feedback was that important to me.
