Eben Pagan Interviews Sir Richard Branson
Eben Pagan shares his 'Daily Update' system for evaluating new hires within 30 days. This simple yet powerful assessment tool reveals employee performance patterns, accountability levels, and communication skills through daily email reports.
Key Moments
How to Implement the Daily Update System for New Hires -- A 30-day employee evaluation system using daily email reports
Daily Update Email — Three-Part Formula
Daily updates should include three components: what you accomplished and results you got, problems or challenges that came up, and questions you have. The email should take only 5-10 minutes to write.
▶ 0:33
How to Have a Clear Termination Conversation After 30 Days
After 30 days, you can have a clear termination conversation by pointing out they failed to consistently do the one thing you asked - send daily updates. Explain that you need results, accountability, and communication, and it's not their style.
▶ 2:31
Daily Update System — Five Minutes Covering Wins Problems and Questions
The Daily Update system requires new hires to send a 5-10 minute daily email covering three areas: what they accomplished, problems encountered, and questions they have
▶ 0:33
Daily Update Emails Reveal Performance Patterns Within 30 Days
Daily updates should take 5-10 minutes maximum. If it takes longer than that, the employee is doing something wrong and overthinking the process.
▶ 0:37
Consistent Daily Updates Reveal Accountability Patterns Over 30 Days
The most basic test of the Daily Update system is simply whether the employee sends it every day - consistency reveals accountability and communication style
▶ 2:28
Relevant Clips14
- How-To
How to Implement the Daily Update System for New Hires -- A 30-day employee evaluation system using daily email reports
- Teaching▶ 2:31
How to Have a Clear Termination Conversation After 30 Days
After 30 days, you can have a clear termination conversation by pointing out they failed to consistently do the one thing you asked - send daily updates. Explain that you need results, accountability, and communication, and it's not their style.
- Teaching
Daily Update System to Evaluate New Hires in 30 Days
Use the Daily Update system where new hires send a 5-10 minute daily email covering what they accomplished, problems they faced, and questions they have. This reveals performance patterns and accountability levels within 30 days.
- Teaching▶ 1:57
Assign an Assistant to High Performers Who Skip Updates
If someone is a high performer but inconsistent with daily updates, you can provide them with an assistant to handle the updates or coach them on the importance of communication while keeping them on the team.
- Teaching▶ 0:33
Daily Update Email — Three-Part Formula
Daily updates should include three components: what you accomplished and results you got, problems or challenges that came up, and questions you have. The email should take only 5-10 minutes to write.
- Teaching▶ 0:33
Daily Update System — Five Minutes Covering Wins Problems and Questions
The Daily Update system requires new hires to send a 5-10 minute daily email covering three areas: what they accomplished, problems encountered, and questions they have
- Teaching▶ 2:28
Consistent Daily Updates Reveal Accountability Patterns Over 30 Days
The most basic test of the Daily Update system is simply whether the employee sends it every day - consistency reveals accountability and communication style
- Teaching
Daily Update System Creates Documentation for Hard Conversations
The Daily Update system provides clear documentation for termination conversations by focusing on the one consistent request that wasn't fulfilled
- Teaching▶ 0:37
Daily Update Emails Reveal Performance Patterns Within 30 Days
Daily updates should take 5-10 minutes maximum. If it takes longer than that, the employee is doing something wrong and overthinking the process.
- Teaching
Value Is Completely Subjective — Same Production Cost, Different Price
High performers who miss daily updates can be coached or given assistant support, but non-performers who also miss updates should be terminated
- Teaching▶ 1:05
Thirty Days of Daily Updates Reveals More Than Years of Casual Acquaintance
Watching daily updates for 30 days reveals more about an employee than people who have known them for years because you see their true patterns
- Quotable▶ 1:05
30 Days of Daily Updates Reveals What Years of Friendship Cannot
if you will watch someone's daily updates every day for 30 days you will learn so much about them that people have known them for years don't even realize because you will see the pattern
Show 2 more
- Quotable▶ 2:44
Results Accountability and Communication — Non-Negotiable Standards
we need results and accountability and communication and it's just not your style to do that
- Quotable▶ 0:01
It's Not Who You Hire — It's Who You Don't Fire
it's not the person you hire it's the person you don't fire that destroys the business
Entities Touched
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Summary
The Foundation: Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly
Eben opens with the critical principle that it's not the person you hire, but the person you don't fire that destroys businesses. This sets up the need for systematic employee evaluation.
The Daily Update System Explained
The core methodology involves new hires sending daily 5-10 minute emails covering accomplishments, problems, and questions. This simple system reveals more about employee patterns than years of traditional observation.
Reading the Patterns
After 30 days of daily updates, clear patterns emerge showing whether employees are results-driven, accountable, curious, and communicative. The consistency of sending updates is itself a crucial performance indicator.
Making the Decision
High performers can be coached or supported even if they miss updates, but underperformers who also lack accountability should be terminated. The system provides clear documentation for these difficult conversations.
Counterpoint
Claim: “You need extensive performance reviews and long probation periods to evaluate new employees”
Reframe: A simple 30-day Daily Update system reveals more about employee patterns than years of traditional observation
Watching someone's daily updates for 30 days shows whether they're results-driven vs activity-driven, their problem-solving approach, curiosity levels, and basic accountability - patterns that people who've known them for years don't realize
Topics
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes