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The performance review is tedious yearly ritual in which supervisor and employee sit down and review accomplishments and goals for the coming year. Both sides promise to communicate more effectively in the future, but nothing really changes. In fact, only two percent of HR professionals think annual evaluations are useful. They insist that people go through the process to create a paper trail in case an employee has to be let go; but for the lawyers, everyone would be delighted to end the practice.

On-the-spot feedback is what 61 percent of workers want to make sure that they succeed, but only 24 percent say that they get it. In fact, people want daily — or at least weekly — conversations about their work so much that they are willing to quit one job for another to get the guidance they seek. This makes sense. No one wants to be guessing at what they are supposed to do, and everyone appreciates pats on the back for a job well done. Although no one wants to be counseled about a poor performance, it’s far better to get the criticism after the first mistake than continue the poor performance only to be told months later that they are not meeting expectations.

Supervisors who do not make their expectations clear are doing everyone a disservice, especially in the hospitality industry where falling short of expectations can cause a guest to leave and never come back. Furthermore, clear communication is the foundation of delegation. All of the “how to delegate” lists and tips on the Internet boil down to 1) be clear on what you want and convey that to your employee; 2) make sure they have the tools and understanding they need to get the job done; 3) check in and provide feedback as they progress, being sure to recognize good work and not micromanage.

Even if everyone is busy, there is no excuse for supervisors and employees not checking in via email or text on a daily basis. After all, no sports coach would expect to win if he or she did not know all their players, call every play, and make substitutions based on game performance. See in that light, checking in with your employees once a year is a plan for failure.