The Manager’s Compass
Welcome to the practice of Leadership Cartography™. Each post maps the terrain of modern leadership—helping you navigate challenges, build confidence, and lead with steadiness.
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The Performance Review Playbook: How to Build Trust and Drive Growth in 60 Minutes
The calendar reminder appears: "Performance review with Sarah - Thursday, 3pm." Your stomach tightens—not because Sarah isn't performing well, but because you know how these conversations usually go. Stilted, formal, both of you counting minutes until it's over. But performance reviews can be different. They can become conversations your team actually looks forward to—moments that build trust instead of anxiety, clarity instead of confusion. The difference lies not in what you discuss, but in how you structure the conversation itself.
How to Run Effective One-on-One Meetings: A Manager's Complete Guide
Most managers wing their one-on-ones, then wonder why nothing changes. You schedule them, ask “How’s everything going?” and 20 minutes later, you’ve covered the weather and current projects but learned nothing about how to help your employee succeed. The problem isn’t that you don’t care—it’s that you don’t have a framework. Learn the 35-minute structure that transforms status meetings into conversations that build trust, drive development, and create real outcomes.
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