Married couples trying out performance reviews to keep on track

NEW YORK -- Regular "check-ins" are becoming a growing trend in many marriages -- a sort of performance review.

Josselyne Saccio and her husband, Michael, have been doing them for the past 10 years.

"I was pregnant with our third child. It became clear we were about to be outnumbered by children," said Josselyne Saccio. "It was on the tipping point of having too much on our plate so I wanted to come up with a method for us to stay on top of what was happening."

Together they decided to have weekly conversations about their relationship. "We have a lot of moving parts and those moving parts will get away from you unless you communicate about them," said Saccio.

While there is no need for an exact schedule, it is helpful to check in on a regular basis to avoid misunderstandings. But one thing is important: Don't be too critical.

"You want to talk about what's working not just what's not working," said Andrea Syrtash, a relationship expert. "Be mindful of how you phrase things, you don't want to attack someone's character and say something like, 'you are so lazy, the kitchen's always mess, the home's always a mess because that's going to shut communication."

The Saccios admit these conversations aren't always easy.

Michael Saccio said, "I needed a little guidance. I basically took Josselyn's lead. I have a great life, that's the result.

His wife said every year their marriage "gets better and better because we do communicate this way."