Performance reviews don't need to be overly complicated. In fact, simplifying them can actually allow for more organic and productive conversations to occur. (Photo: Shutterstock)

How many times has your performance management process left you feeling confused and annoyed, rather than motivated?

If you're like me, the answer is too many. Fortunately, there is a better way. We have gone through all of the typical iterations on our way to what we believe is the right approach. As a marketing tech startup, the concept of an annual review process was absurd because the product and our roles will change dramatically in a year. Writing substantial quarterly reviews for a large team is better, but is still a huge time investment that is hard to justify when what really matters is improving performance for tomorrow, not agonizing over whether we did a good job yesterday.

Related: 3 secrets to continuous performance management success