2: Think Locally and Focus on Team Leaders

Every year at performance review time, Steve Richardson, senior vice president (retired) for organizational capabilities at American Express, makes a small gesture that electrifies employees. He not only reads the performance reviews his direct reports write for their own direct reports but also includes a handwritten note on each review. “I personalize feedback for a wide group,” he says. “Not only does this bolster individuals and their leaders, it shows that I care about what is happening several layers down in the organization.”

It takes Richardson about ten minutes to read and comment on each of some eighty performance reviews, but he maintains that the payback is priceless. “I get thank-you notes ...

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