Managing people: problem with year-end evaluations

I've always worried about the whole concept of year-end reviews. It seems to me there is too much of a tie-in with salary increases --- or lack of them --- for anyone to really benefit from the opportunity for improvement that they could provide.

This article from News-Leader.com agrees with my point of view, and suggests periodic "check-ins" as an alternative. I like it. Do you? Check it out, and then come back and leave me a comment about what you think. Here's the link.

News-Leader.com | Business