Breaking the Cycle: From Performance Reviews to Mission Alignment

Today, I had an enlightening conversation with my friend Alice, a Practice Manager at a mid-sized government agency. We delved into the intricacies of performance reviews — a topic that often sparks dread but is ripe with potential for transformative change. The insights we shared were so good that I felt inspired to bring this discussion to you.

The Need for Change

Alice shared her struggles with the current performance review system in her organisation, especially as they face the grim prospect of layoffs. "It's just exhausting!" she confessed. "It's like preparing for a race that's already been cancelled." The frustration in her office was palpable, highlighting a system that feels more punitive than productive. "It shouldn't be this hard!"

Common Pain Points

Through our discussion, Alice highlighted three particular pain points she experienced.

• Strategic Misalignment: Rapid environmental changes outpace the static goal-setting and feedback cycles, often compounded by unclear strategic directions.

• Stunted Growth: "When we prioritise efficiency, it's the growth opportunities that suffer." This focus on quick results often leaves little room for nurturing long-term potential and skills development. Moreover, nurturing such potential requires fast learning cycles/feedback loops that allow for mistakes — something that can feel like a luxury in the relentless race for efficiency and control.

• Capability Gaps: The absence of both capability and capacity for ongoing, meaningful feedback, on both the giving and receiving ends, undermines genuine personal and professional development.

A Fairy Tale Solution

In a typical coaching fashion, I posed a question to Alice, "Imagine a fairy revamped your performance review system overnight — what would you notice?" She chuckled at the whimsy but then outlined a refreshing vision:

• Feedback would become an ongoing dialogue, seamlessly integrated into daily interactions.

• Goal Setting would dynamically adapt, reflecting real-time challenges and shifts.

• Skill Development would directly align with both personal aspirations and the agency's strategic needs.

The Real-World Challenges

Alice was quick to point out that while these ideas seem like common sense, implementing them is fraught with challenges. Her scepticism was rooted in the realities of workplace culture and entrenched processes. "It’s not just about recognising better approaches — it’s about having the tools and support necessary to enact them," she stressed, underscoring the need for significant shifts in both mindset and operational frameworks.

The Rocket Metaphor

Continuing our discussion, I challenged Alice "Imagine you’re the CEO of your new company and can redesign your system from scratch. How would you create an adaptive system that truly supports accountability, growth, and strategic alignment?" Together, we came up with the rocket launch metaphor, a perfect representation of breaking the cycle from traditional performance reviews to mission alignment.

• The main engine (Goal Setting) sets collective goals that resonate with the organisation's mission and individual motivations.

• The booster engines (Skill Development) propel the organisation with tailored growth opportunities and energetic exchanges.

• The navigation system (Feedback) ensures continuous, real-time course adjustments.

Orion Group’s Solutions

Alice was genuinely interested in how my new venture, Orion Group, could address these challenges. I shared that our solutions include

• Collective Goal Setting: Aligning individual strengths and aspirations with organisational objectives.

• Skill Development: Tailored 'Orbits' learning pathways, designed around individual and collective goals, while adhering to a gold-standard competency model that ensures both excellence and relevance

• Feedback Systems: Building capability, capacity, and habit for ongoing, effective feedback.

A Little Inspiration Goes a Long Way

Though her agency isn't ready to overhaul its system yet, Alice left our conversation inspired to implement small, impactful changes. We discussed practical steps like separating the timing of feedback from formal performance evaluations, letting employees take charge of their feedback processes, and starting feedback invitations at the beginning of the review cycle rather than the end. Additionally, before asking them to gather feedback from their peers, why not first seek their feedback on you?

Join Our Mission for Change

Are you ready to transform your performance review system? Connect with us to explore how practical, incremental changes can significantly enhance your organisation's capability for mission alignment. We’re also preparing our first YouTube video on actionable tips to elevate your feedback game. If you want to be notified when it’s available, please follow our LinkedIn page.