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Navigating engineering performance reviews: part two

How to effectively evaluate your reports, calibrate across teams, and give feedback
March 30, 2021

‘But I thought I was getting promoted this cycle. Getting a “meets expectations” is a surprise, and honestly, a disappointment.’

This is what one of my first direct reports said to me about a decade ago. Since then, I’ve learned a lot and made performance feedback a cornerstone of my approach to building and leading high-performing teams.

Humans are intrinsically motivated to excel when presented with a good mix of competence, autonomy, and purpose in their role. In my previous article, we discussed the performance cycle and its importance, and dived into its first phase: writing impactful self-evaluations and giving effective peer (or 360) feedback.

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