Part 2: How to Deliver Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People)

04/15/25 • 14 min

How to Deliver Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People) Part 2

Too many employee reviews feel like an ambush.

But when leaders approach reviews as the culmination of a year’s worth of growth—not a once-a-year evaluation—everything changes.

In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris walks you through how to conduct employee reviews that build trust, reinforce clarity, and inspire performance. This is Part 2 of our series on Employee Development and Annual Reviews, and we’re focused on the delivery—how to lead the actual conversation with confidence and care.

You'll learn:

How to make monthly 1:1s the foundation of your review process
Why great reviews are never a surprise—and what to do if they are
When and how to schedule reviews to reduce anxiety and build consistency
How to reframe the review as a story, not just a score
A simple, objective framework to evaluate SMART goals using real data

Whether the year was full of wins, setbacks, or something in between, this episode will help you turn your review process into a people-first leadership tool—not a performance trap.

Want more leadership insights or training for your team?
Colby Morris provides keynotes, leadership coaching, and custom workshops to help organizations build strong, people-first cultures.

NXTStepAdvisors.com

Connect with Colby:

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbymorris/) and join the ongoing conversation about what real leadership looks like today.

Subscribe, share, and start leading reviews that grow people—not blindside them.

How to Deliver Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People) Part 2

Too many employee reviews feel like an ambush.

But when leaders approach reviews as the culmination of a year’s worth of growth—not a once-a-year evaluation—everything changes.

You'll learn:

How to make monthly 1:1s the foundation of your review process
Why great reviews are never a surprise—and what to do if they are
When and how to schedule reviews to reduce anxiety and build consistency
How to reframe the review as a story, not just a score
A simple, objective framework to evaluate SMART goals using real data

Whether the year was full of wins, setbacks, or something in between, this episode will help you turn your review process into a people-first leadership tool—not a performance trap.

Want more leadership insights or training for your team?
Colby Morris provides keynotes, leadership coaching, and custom workshops to help organizations build strong, people-first cultures.

NXTStepAdvisors.com

Connect with Colby:

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbymorris/) and join the ongoing conversation about what real leadership looks like today.

Subscribe, share, and start leading reviews that grow people—not blindside them.

Previous Episode

Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People) Part 1

Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People)

Let’s be honest: most employee reviews suck. They’re vague, awkward, once-a-year rituals that everyone dreads—and nobody grows from.

But they don’t have to be.

In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris breaks down how to build employee development plans that actually work—with SMART goals that connect to your team’s real career aspirations, and a system to track progress month after month.

You’ll learn:

✅ How to ditch the checkbox review culture
✅ How to build SMART goals your team actually cares about
✅ How to break annual goals into quarterly and monthly wins
✅ How to create a simple, powerful one-page development plan
✅ And why most reviews feel like punishment—but don’t have to

If you want to stop phoning it in and start building a culture where reviews lead to real growth, this episode is your roadmap. Plus, Colby shares real-life stories (yes, even the ones where he learned the hard way), so you can skip the mistakes and level up your leadership game faster.

🔔 Subscribe. Share it with the leader who’s still using last year’s copy-paste review template.

And if you’re looking for keynote speakers, workshops, or coaching that doesn’t suck either—Colby’s your guy.

Connect with Colby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbymorris/)

or at his webpage: nxtstepadvisors.com (no "E" in NXT)

Next Episode

If AI Can Do Your Job, It’s Time to Lead Differently

If AI Can Do Your Job, It’s Time to Lead Differently

Episode Description:

If AI can do your job, what exactly are you bringing to the table?

This week on Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris delivers a direct challenge to every leader navigating the rise of artificial intelligence:

You can’t automate emotional intelligence.

You can’t delegate trust.

And you sure can’t replace real leadership with a chatbot.

In this short, high-impact episode, you’ll learn:

Why your team is silently wondering if their work still matters—and how to lead through the fear.
What AI can do exceptionally well—and what it will never be able to do.
Why emotional intelligence (EQ) is the one skill that separates real leaders from human-shaped task bots.
How to use AI as a tool—without using it as a crutch.
Why the future of leadership is more human, not less.

This episode is designed for your drive to work or wind-down after—so you can listen, reflect, and lead differently by the time you show up.

🔗 Want to connect with Colby or book him to speak? Visit nxtstepadvisors.com or connect with Colby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbymorris/)

Subscribe. Share it with another leader. And show up like only you can.
And you know why? Because those are the things that leaders do.

Things Leaders Do - Part 2: How to Deliver Employee Reviews That Don’t Suck (And Actually Grow Your People)

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:01.822

Welcome to Things Leaders Do , the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader . If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth , inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership , then you've come to the right place . Remember , the world needs exceptional leaders , and that leader is you . Now here's your host , colby Morris , is you .