Rachel Brantley @_423agent

"Why does our top performer get the worst reviews?" the boss asked. I was reviewing their annual performance data. "Show me," I said. She pulled up the ratings. Diana: 2.8 out of 5. Below average on "collaboration." Low marks for "team player." "What's her actual performance?" I asked. "Exceeded every target. Landed our biggest client. Trained three new hires." "So why the low scores?" "Her peer reviews are dragging her down." I scanned the comments. "Too direct." "Challenges ideas too much." "Not supportive enough." "Let me talk to Diana," I said. "I used to give honest feedback," Diana told me. "Said our pricing model was broken. Got dinged for 'negativity.'" "What happened with the pricing?" "They finally fixed it six months later. After we lost two major accounts." "What else?" "I questioned why we needed eleven approvals for a simple contract change. Manager said I wasn't being collaborative." "Are you still giving feedback?" "No. I learned my lesson. Now I smile. Nod. Say everything's great. My reviews are improving." "But nothing's actually improving?" "We're making the same mistakes. Just with better vibes." She chuckled. I went back to the boss. "Your review system doesn't measure performance," I said. "It measures compliance." "That's not true." "When was the last time someone got promoted for challenging bad ideas?" Silence. "When did someone get rewarded for preventing a mistake?" More silence. "You've trained your best people to stay quiet. And your mediocre people to stay nice." A few months later, they redesigned the system. Added a category: "Constructive Challenge." Points for identifying problems early. Rewards for preventing costly mistakes. Diana got promoted. "What changed?" I asked the boss. "We stopped confusing agreement with alignment. Stopped mistaking silence for harmony." "And?" "Turns out our 'difficult' people were our most valuable. They actually cared enough to speak up." Here's the truth about performance reviews: Most companies don't reward performance. They reward performance theater. The person who says the meeting was great beats the person who says it wasted an hour. The person who agrees with bad ideas beats the person who prevents disasters. You think you're measuring contribution. You're measuring conformity. And your best people? They've already figured out the game. They're just deciding whether to play it or find somewhere that values truth over comfort.

“Government cheese,” produced in the 1980s to offload a massive dairy surplus, was stored in Missouri’s underground caves and given to struggling Americans. The surplus stemmed from 1970s farm policies that left the government with over a billion pounds of cheese.... 🇺🇸🧀 As dairy farmers faced economic turmoil in the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created price supports and subsidy programs to stabilize the industry. These programs required the government to buy milk when market prices fell too low, but instead of discarding it, much of the milk was processed into cheese, butter, and powdered milk. By the early 1980s, the surplus had ballooned into a logistical nightmare, billions of pounds of dairy products were piling up in refrigerated warehouses and abandoned limestone mines across the Midwest. To address both the waste and public hunger, President Ronald Reagan’s administration launched a distribution initiative, giving away blocks of processed cheddar through food assistance programs. “Government cheese” became a staple in low-income households and food banks throughout the decade, often recognized by its distinctive orange hue and plain cardboard packaging. Though mocked for its rubbery texture, it symbolized both the excesses and the safety net of the American agricultural system. Today, the so-called “cheese caves” in Missouri remain in use, now largely operated by private storage companies. They serve as a reminder of how economic policy, industrial agriculture, and hunger intersected during a turbulent chapter of American history. Added fact: The caves that once stored government cheese were part of a larger underground network originally carved out for mining limestone, today, these same caverns also house data centers, office spaces, and even cold storage for wine. Price support — A government policy that sets minimum prices for agricultural products, ensuring farmers receive a guaranteed income regardless of market fluctuations. © History Pictures #archaeohistories

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee until 1 AM EDT

🚨🚨🚨Update from the Whitfield County Board of Elections & Registrars Office. Georgia voters make sure you double check your printed ballot to make sure the candidates you voted for are listed before you turn in your ballot!!! Thank you Whitfield County Board of Elections for resolving this major issue! Please report any machine vote flipping and continue to fix the issues! Everyone, this is not their fault, they don’t make the Georgia state election laws and they are just doing their jobs. If it were up to me, Georgia would have paper ballots only, we would require proof of citizenship nationwide for voting, and we would not count noncitizens in the census so districts were drawn on citizenship numbers not total number of people.

Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 @mtgreenee

2 years ago

🚨🚨🚨This happened in Whitfield County in my district - GA-14. We vote on Dominion voting machines then it prints a paper ballot with our selections made on the machines. This voter’s printed ballot had been changed from their selections made on the machine. Good thing they

2K 10K 20K 3.6M 1K

🚨🚨🚨This happened in Whitfield County in my district - GA-14. We vote on Dominion voting machines then it prints a paper ballot with our selections made on the machines. This voter’s printed ballot had been changed from their selections made on the machine. Good thing they checked their paper ballot before turning it in! After several attempts of trying to change it to reflect their correct choices, they had to void the ballot and use a different machine. Please double check your printed ballot before you turn it in to make sure it has marked the candidates you voted for!!!

TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!

‼️REMINDER‼️ Motorists traveling on I-75 be aware that today, July 12 from 8AM to 12PM the Hamilton Co. I-75 Welcome Center will be closed for emergency repairs by EPB. These repairs are to a power line not the Welcome Center. Significant delays are expected.

The Supreme Court backs TN law banning homeless people from sleeping on streets. bit.ly/3VHw5i1

keyboard_arrow_left Previous keyboard_arrow_right Next

BODY OF 17-YEAR-OLD RECOVERED FROM HIXSON MARINA AREA: The TWRA has confirmed that crews recovered the body of a 17-year-old Hamilton County resident around 11:30 p.m yesterday in 21 feet of water. According to the TWRA, none of the swimmers were wearing life jackets.

keyboard_arrow_left Previous keyboard_arrow_right Next

GOOD MORNING, CHATTANOOGA -- TIME FOR BREAKFAST! Our #GoodMorningChattanooga producer @rachel_wtvc9 -who lives on a farm- shot video of her new puppies eating puppy food for the first time! Who's chowing down at your house? Show us here: newschannel9.com/chimein

DEVELOPING: A large police presence alongside caution tape is surrounding a residence on the 5400 Block of Mtn Creek Rd. @ChattanoogaPD is working on scene with investigators. I spoke with officers on scene and was given no further information. Depend on us to keep you updated…

keyboard_arrow_left Previous keyboard_arrow_right Next

There is a localized higher risk for tornado development over the next few hours near the I-24 corridor as a line of thunderstorms moves along a lingering outflow boundary near Marion and Hamilton Counties. Please have multiple ways to receive any warnings early this morning!

I'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. I have been in contact with @BaltimoreFire Chief Wallace, @GovWesMoore @JohnnyOJr, and @AACoExec. Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.

BREAKING: HCSO’s dive teams working to identify a vehicle in the Tennessee River and if it is the vehicle they are looking for.

Leslie Dominique @lesliedomi_tv

2 years ago

BREAKING: According to the Meigs County District Attorney, a vehicle has been identified at the end of Blythe Ferry road by the TWRA. The last position of the missing deputy’s phone is almost in that same position.

1 2 4 6K 0

TBI agents continue to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred Thursday evening in Blount County. Click below to read our preliminary statement. MORE: tbinewsroom.com/2024/02/09/tbi…

Go Fund Me for Sgt. Mike Russ: gofund.me/585d045d

Chattanooga Police Department @ChattanoogaPD

3 years ago

We are deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of one of our very own, Sergeant James “Mike” Russ #1065. Sgt. Russ proudly served our community and country. He served our community for over 16 years with the CPD and served 20 years in the United States Navy.

12 16 59 7K 1

@SecBlinken How many hostages have been released in total now?

DEVELOPING: #MostWanted suspect John Drake, Jr. has died from what preliminarily appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. TBI special agents will investigate and await a full autopsy report.

@ChristyCalcagno @Daniel_Bonds @WLTX @STJHILL Hey pretty girl! Keep rocking on! Side note: I never got my HS or college ring either... I always wanted one.. but hey I'm cool with the diploma LOL

@ChattFireDept Any footage from the scene?