By Ernest De-Graft Egyir
Insight.
Performance reviews are most valuable when they help leaders understand why results occurred and what must change to improve future performance. As the year approaches its final weeks, CEOs must examine financial outcomes, operational effectiveness, customer satisfaction, employee performance, and progress against strategic objectives.
The purpose is not simply to identify what went wrong. It is to recognize what worked, understand performance gaps, and take corrective action while there is still time to influence year-end results.
Key Strategies:
- Compare actual results with strategic objectives and approved targets.
- Identify the main drivers of strong and weak performance.
- Examine operational bottlenecks and unresolved execution gaps.
- Assign clear ownership for corrective actions.
- Apply lessons from current performance to 2027 planning.
CEO Leadership Actions.
Review the organization’s performance against its most important year-end targets.
Require executives to explain significant variances and propose practical corrective actions.
Track agreed actions through to completion.
Actionable Tip.
- Ask each executive to identify one result that exceeded expectations, one significant performance gap, and one action that could improve results before December 31.
Why This Matters?
A disciplined performance review converts information into action. It helps the CEO address problems before they become more costly, reinforce practices that deliver value, and make better-informed decisions about the year ahead.
About the Author.
Ernest De-Graft Egyir, CEO advisor, Thought Leader and Founding CEO of Chief Executives Network Ghana, convenes the Ghana CEO Summit and served on Ghana’s Economic Dialogue Planning Committee.