1 — System Design

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Sarah's waiting for December's meeting, feedback trapped in calendar jail
Nine months since her project stumbled, but the wisdom comes too late to sail
Her manager scribbles numeric ratings, but research whispers what we know
Those numbers mirror rater bias more than actual worker flow

[Chorus]
Performance systems need redesign
Break the annual paradigm
Frequent feedback, specific and near
Makes improvement crystal clear
No more ranking, no more wait
Continuous growth at steady rate

[Verse 2]
Marcus dreads the forced percentile, bottom ten must disappear
Though his team collaborated brilliantly, the curve creates the fear
Meanwhile Jenny's self-assessment soars beyond her actual skill
But engagement climbs when workers voice their journey up the hill

[Chorus]
Performance systems need redesign
Break the annual paradigm
Frequent feedback, specific and near
Makes improvement crystal clear
No more ranking, no more wait
Continuous growth at steady rate

[Bridge]
Check-ins weekly with your people
OKRs aligned and simple
Three-sixty for development only
Real-time recognition, never lonely
Project snapshots tell the story
Behavior-focused, detailed glory

[Verse 3]
The science speaks in whispers loud: proximity transforms the game
When feedback follows action closely, workers learn and break the chain
Your manager's specific observations beat the ratings every time
One practice rules above the others: coaching rhythm, reason, rhyme

[Final Chorus]
Performance systems need redesign
Break the annual paradigm
Frequent feedback, specific and near
Makes improvement crystal clear
No more ranking, no more wait
Continuous growth at steady rate

[Outro]
Design the system, watch it grow
Regular feedback steals the show

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