Brief

David Hassell, CEO of 15Five, argues that traditional annual performance reviews are outdated and ill-suited for the current era of rapid technological change. He suggests that the annual cadence is too slow to foster employee development and that most reviews are backward-looking. Hassell advocates for more frequent, continuous feedback integrated with AI tools to streamline the process and make it more forward-looking, ultimately reducing manager workload and employee anxiety. AI

The concept of organizational flattening, where hierarchical structures are compressed and middle management is reduced, is accelerating due to advancements in AI. This trend, which has roots in earlier decades, is now seeing individual contributors manage larger teams with the assistance of AI agents. While this can lead to faster decision-making, it also poses a risk to the development of future senior leaders by eliminating traditional career progression paths. AI