Exercise: Advising Around Performance Reviews (Preventing the ‘Social Map’ Effect)
Goal: Prevent employees from only reaching out during the performance review.
Strategic timing: In the weeks leading up to the performance review cycle.
Action for the proactive confidential advisor:
- Proactively inform managers:
- “Be aware if signals about well-being, collaboration, or workload suddenly emerge.”
- “Watch out for the ‘social map’ effect (where employees don’t feel safe to raise concerns earlier).”
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Offer to train managers in ‘recognizing signals during performance conversations’.
Tip: Explain that safety in a performance review starts with trust built throughout the year.