Transform Your Professional Development Reviews: From Disappointment to Celebration

Barbra Carlisle • April 3, 2024

Sadly, for many, professional development reviews fail to meet expectations.

Review meetings are a great way to get to know your team members ambitions, the views on how work is going for them and to celebrate the great things that they are doing day in day out. It is the place where frank and open conversations can be had on your expectations of your employee and vice versa.


Too many times I hear the dismissive tones of employees when they talk about their Personal Development Review.

There is an undercurrent of it being formulaic and not really about celebrating the great things they have done, but more a tool to be tasked with more… tasks.

Employees I have spoken to say they resigned to the fact that their manager will move the meeting time, cancel at the last minute and cut the meeting short.  And even worse that their manager won’t schedule any review meetings from one year to the next.

A review meeting is process that enables you as a leader to have meaningful conversations with your people on a one to one level. That supports reflective practice as well as goal setting. That nurtures ambition and keeps people motivated and productive.

Most people-focused organisations will have a Personal Development system, the question is :


  • how is its purpose communicated to employees?
  • what time do you dedicate to preparing for the session?
  • what time do you dedicate to hold the session?
  • how much effort do you and your employee put into getting the right goals for them and the business?
  • how balanced is the session in terms of time you talk versus the time your employee talks?
  • are you comfortable to have a balance conversation around poor performance?


Too many times I see great processes but poor execution.

I always had a raft of personal goals that I wanted to achieve in a year and some managers embraced my development, kept me accountable, connected me with others in the business who could support my growth and celebrated with me when I achieved the goals.  Others were more interested in their own personal goals, and not mine. You have guessed it, I gave more to the former, in terms of energy, enthusiasm, productivity and innovation.

Too many times I hear of PDP / PDR meetings being cancelled at short notice.  This is a big NO!

As a leader you need to demonstrate prioritisation of the personal development of your team, and cancelling meetings simply doesn’t align with a people-focused leader.

If you want to lead with impact and purpose make the time and energy required to sit with your employees and


  • listen to how well they think they have done, celebrate with them
  • explore their business and personal development goals, and clarify their ambitions to help them bring them to life and believe in them
  • challenge them if they don’t come with a personal growth idea, they may think they don’t have permission to be ambitious for themselves
  • be proactive – set the meetings up and stick to them!


and finally, check in with them through the year and raise their personal goals with them at the meeting to ensure they know that you are interested in their personal development, not just in task deliverables.

Unlock Innovation - Talk to a Stranger

By Barbra Carlisle • April 17, 2025
Introduction Going down to London a couple of weeks ago I was looking forward to putting on a good podcast and ignoring everything and everyone around me. That is until a woman, Melanie, came and plonked down next to me, with her pile of papers and her phone ringing. Once she had taken the call, she smiled at me, I smiled back and this led to a 2 and half hour conversation on all things from professional development to managing long distant relationships. I got off the train more energised, connected and ready for the day than if I had stuck my headphones in. We arranged to meet for a coffee back in Liverpool. Why am I telling you this? Because in business, we often talk about the importance of networks and collaboration—but what if some of the most transformative insights come not from your inner circle, but from a stranger on a train, a chance encounter at a conference, or a casual conversation over coffee? The Research A recent UK study from the University of Essex (Sandstrom et al., 2022) showed that small talk with strangers can significantly improve mood, empathy, and creativity. More importantly, these fleeting interactions often lead to the sharing of ideas that would otherwise remain siloed. In a time when innovation and agility are everything, this matters. Another UK study by Nesta (2019) on innovation diffusion found that ideas spread faster in communities where “weak ties” are strong—those acquaintances and peripheral connections that sit just outside our usual networks. They introduce novelty and challenge groupthink, something every CEO navigating complexity should pay attention to. The Leadership Lens When I work with CEOs, those in peer networks always value that outside in perspective, a fresh set of eyes. When I interviewed Tom Morgan for The Unlikely Executive Podcast he highlighted the power of talking to absolute strangers. His stranger was on the side of a soccer pitch. Showing that real breakthroughs can happen when you put down your guard and just share what your thoughts and ideas are. The 5 Voices framework reminds us that each person has a unique voice—and when we only surround ourselves with people who speak “like us,” we lose access to vital perspectives. When leaders only stay within their trusted circle, something important is lost. You may protect consistency and control (a strength of the Guardian), but you risk missing the unexpected insight that could change everything. Often, it’s the Creative or Connector in the room who first sees the value in an offhand comment or a half-formed idea. These seemingly small conversations—ones we often don’t prioritise—are where innovation is born.” The Call So here’s an invitation: be deliberate about bumping into brilliance. Attend a meet-up that’s outside your industry. Talk to a stranger, say hello as a starter! This method was used by Mel Robbins to great effect when she moved home and is outlined in her brilliant book Let Them. Most of all, create cultures where your team talks beyond their silos too. You might be surprised by where the next big idea comes from—and who it comes from. Curious what kind of conversations might unlock new thinking for you as a leader? Let’s talk. barbra@gleecoaching.com

Setting up a business with Friends

By Barbra Carlisle • April 16, 2025
Introduction Starting a business with friends is thrilling. There is an overarching sense of relief that you don't have to do it alone -you can do it with your bestie! yay! Fast forward 18 months, and the Yay! can turn into Nay! Misaligned expectations, unspoken assumptions, and personality clashes often threaten what was once a shared vision. How can co-directors stay aligned—and stay friends? The Research The UK’s ScaleUp Institute (2022) found that the biggest internal challenge to scale-up growth isn’t funding or sales—it’s leadership alignment. Misalignment at the top leads to strategic drift, team confusion, and burnout. The London Business School’s study on entrepreneurial team dynamics (Lechler & Ensley, 2021) highlights that psychological safety, clear communication, and complementary leadership styles are essential for co-founder success. The Voice of Alignment Most founder teams don’t fall apart because they disagree on what they want to build. It’s how they build it—how they make decisions, how they handle conflict, how they communicate under pressure. One founder might lead with relentless vision, what I call the Pioneer perspective, while another is carefully evaluating risk (taking a Guardian perspective). One might want harmony above all else (Nurturer), and another thrives on energy and visibility (Connector). The key is not to flatten those differences, but to name and honour them.” As a co-director of a brilliant social research agency Michael and I were super excited when we set out - we even got to take clients with us! Yay! However our personalities and life stage were so so different that tensions started to arise. - One of us wanted to renegotiate the agreed starting salary - one of us didn't - One of us was a laissez faire leader, one of us wasn't - One of us put our people first, one of us didn't - One of us blended work with social life, the other just wanted to go home and be with their family - One of us was single and footloose, one of us was married with responsibilities. None of the above were unresolvable but we were unable to resolve due to lack of appreciation of each other, and pressures from around us. I wish I had sought out the support of a coach, I would have loved it if we had both had coaching before it was too late. The Call If you’re building something with someone you respect and care about, take the time to build how you build. A business plan is vital—but so is a relationship plan. Talk to one another about your needs and desires, and share your observations on how you think the relationship, not just the business is going. Let’s ensure your founding team is aligned not just on the product, but on purpose, pace, and process. If you want to run through your thoughts get in touch with me, I would love to be able to help you, and your friend, be totally awesome! https://zcal.co/barbracarlisle/30min
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