“I’ll remember it at review time” is how good work gets forgotten
Memory keeps the last six weeks and the loudest moment. One line after every big moment turns review time into copy and paste.
THE QUICK ANSWER
After every big moment, write one line: what happened, and why it mattered. Memory keeps the last six weeks and the loudest moment, and everything in between disappears. So the person who quietly delivered in March gets graded on what they did in September. Thirty seconds a week turns review time into copy and paste instead of guesswork.
GO DEEPER
Why memory is a poor review tool
“I’ll remember it at review time” feels reasonable. You see your team every week, you know who did what, and surely the big things will stick. But memory does not work that way.
Memory keeps the last six weeks and the loudest moment. Everything in between fades. So the person who quietly delivered a hard project in March gets graded on what they did in September, while the person who made the most noise last month gets credit for more than they earned. This is recency bias, and it hits quiet performers hardest.
The fix is a running note. After every big moment, write one line: what happened, and why it mattered. “Closed the Henderson renewal after the pricing mistake. Saved about a quarter’s revenue.” That is thirty seconds a week, and you do not have to be neat about it.
At review time the note becomes your evidence. You are copying and pasting instead of guessing, and your best people notice the difference, because their work finally has something behind it. If you are writing reviews now, the free review builder can help you turn those notes into clear wording.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Write one line after every big moment so review time runs on evidence, not memory.
TEST YOURSELF
What is the best habit to avoid recency bias at review time?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
