Performance management is meant to help managers support and develop their teams, but let’s be honest, the phrase alone triggers collective eye-rolls across organizations. Somewhere along the way, it became associated with forms and ratings instead of growth and learning.
Many organizations still treat performance management as a check-the-box activity, missing its true purpose: to drive continuous development.
As leaders, it’s our responsibility to do more than host a once-a-year goal-setting meeting. We need to take an active, ongoing role in helping our teams grow. Performance isn’t static—it evolves. And while we expect our people to develop, we have to ask ourselves: Are we giving them the tools, feedback, and coaching to actually do it? Or are we setting goals and walking away?
True development takes constant effort from everyone involved. It requires real-time feedback, honest conversations, and the willingness to course-correct along the way. Think about your own career and growth journey. How did you really learn? Chances are, it wasn’t from a form or a once-a-year review. It was through challenges, feedback, and the guidance of someone (or if you’re really lucky, multiple people) who believed in your potential. Development is never a one-and-done activity. It’s an ongoing process and one we should all be intentionally pursuing, no matter our role or level.
From Once-a-Year to All-Year
Setting goals at the beginning of the year and revisiting them twelve months later doesn’t work. Growth doesn’t happen on an annual cycle. It happens daily, through consistent feedback, coaching, and reflection.
Leaders play a crucial role in this process. It’s our responsibility to actively guide our teams, helping them identify goals, navigate challenges, and recognize progress along the way. The best performance management systems don’t live in spreadsheets, they live in conversations.
That means:
- Don’t set and forget. Goals should evolve as priorities shift.
- Give ongoing, immediate feedback. Waiting months to address issues or celebrate wins dilutes impact. Give feedback timely, when it happens or shortly thereafter so they can learn and adjust.
- Make development constant. Everyone—at every level—should focus on continuous improvement, not just annual targets.
The Power of “Yet”
One of the most powerful shifts leaders can make is reframing failure or delay with the “Power of Yet.” The Power of Yet is a powerful concept to reframe setbacks as opportunities. We have a great webinar on this at Exude Human Capital that will cover this deeper.
Essentially, it means:
- You haven’t achieved that goal… yet.
- You haven’t mastered that new system… yet.
- You haven’t stepped fully into that leadership role… yet.
This mindset keeps people motivated, curious, and focused on progress rather than perfection. By reframing these objectives, it allows space for people to evaluate what’s missing and how can you get there, instead of just focusing on the negative reality that it hasn’t been achieved…just yet.
It’s a concept we often explore in our leadership coaching and training programs at Exude Human Capital. Simple shifts in language and mindset can turn performance conversations into powerful development opportunities.
Unspoken Expectations
We all have expectations of ourselves and of others. But how good are we at making sure those are clearly communicated, realistic and achievable? When employees don’t know what success looks like, they can’t meet or exceed it. Sidenote: this really applies to all areas of our lives (friends, family, spouses, etc.). We can’t assume people know what’s in our head around the expectations we have for them. It’s not fair to them or ourselves. Clear communication around goals, timelines, and expectations makes all the difference.
Expectations should be:
- Realistic
- Achievable
- Feasible within desired timeframe
- Clear and concise
- AND Communicated
And feedback on unmet expectations should come in real time, not as a surprise at year’s end. The key is to communicate the exact expectations and ensure our teams understand them and agrees to them being achievable.
Advisory & Coaching
It’s okay to not always have the answers. Managing people is no easy task and it takes a lot of work to create a culture of coaching and growth. Performance management shouldn’t be a solo activity. It should be a shared, ongoing process that weaves coaching, mentoring, and advisory support into the everyday rhythm of work. However, leaders need ongoing coaching and advisory too. At Exude Human Capital, we partner with organizations to design strategic performance management systems that actually develop people, aligning individual growth with business goals. Through our advisory, coaching, and training solutions, we help leaders build the confidence and skills to move from evaluators to true coaches. Because when people feel seen, supported, and stretched in the right ways, performance takes care of itself.
Developmental opportunities could include:
- Strategic Advisory
- 1:1 or Small Group Coaching
- Team Development Workshops
- Trainings such as: HR for non-HR, Communications, Leading for Everyday Performance, Actioning Accountability, Leading Through Change, Empowering Teams, the Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback, and more
Our teams need development, but so do our leaders. The organizations that attract, retain, and grow top talent are the ones that build learning and development into the fabric of their culture.
Be the Person Who Helps Someone Else Grow
Think about someone who played a role in your own development: a mentor, a leader, a colleague who believed in you before you believed in yourself. Now imagine being that person for someone else. That’s what true performance management is about: building environments where everyone can thrive, learn, and grow—together.
Go be that person for someone else. It will be rewarding for both of you!
At Exude Human Capital, we understand that people are the cornerstone of every successful organization. We’re dedicated to helping organizations—big, small, and everything in between—lift up their people, their mission, and their bottom line. We provide dynamic solutions in HR outsourcing, compensation strategies, strategic advisory, organizational and cultural assessments, DEIB advisory and training, coaching, and leadership development programs.
Let’s connect! We have a great resource library of podcasts, blogs, and webinars around many common people topics. Set up a meeting with us here to discuss how we can help with your people and development strategies.