Performance & Growth — How Development Becomes Part of the Everyday
Jul 6, 2025
Growth doesn’t happen in cycles. It happens in moments — during a project handoff, a code review, a tough conversation, a small win. That’s why performance and development aren’t separate. They’re two sides of the same question:
What helps people do better work — and feel good doing it?
For years, performance management meant forms, ratings, and once-a-year reviews. But modern people operations see something different: development as a continuous experience, owned by individuals, supported by managers, and aligned with company goals.
You don’t need more paperwork.
You need better conversations — and systems that turn feedback into progress.
Performance is not pressure — it’s clarity
At its best, performance is not about evaluation. It’s about alignment.
What are we trying to achieve?
What does success look like in this role?
How do I know if I’m on track?
When those questions are answered clearly, performance becomes less about judgment and more about focus. People know where they’re heading — and how to move forward.
That clarity needs to be built intentionally. It starts with clear goals, regular 1-on-1s, and the ability to give and receive honest feedback. None of that requires a big system — it requires rhythm, structure, and trust.
Development is not a program — it’s a relationship
Most people don’t grow because of a course or a form. They grow because someone paid attention. Someone challenged them. Gave feedback. Made space.
Real development is embedded in relationships:
Between manager and employee
Between teammates
Between the work and the person doing it
A strong development culture includes:
Clear skill expectations (what “good” looks like)
Stretch assignments
Feedback that’s frequent, fair, and forward-looking
Time and space to reflect, improve, and reset
The most effective question you can ask someone regularly:
“What’s one thing you’d like to get better at this month?”
That question does more than any system.
Goals guide direction — but learning fuels the journey
Well-written goals help teams move in sync. But people rarely grow in straight lines.
That’s why performance systems should allow for change, experimentation, and even failure — if it leads to learning. Learning is not separate from the work. It is the work.
Don’t separate goals from growth. Show people how their goals develop them, not just track them.
Examples:
“Lead the launch of X” becomes a way to build leadership skills.
“Improve response time” becomes a chance to sharpen prioritization.
When performance is tied to learning, people stop fearing feedback — and start seeking it.
Reviews should reflect reality — not a spreadsheet
Formal reviews are still useful. But only if they reflect what’s actually happening.
A good review:
Looks at progress, not perfection
Is a shared conversation, not a scorecard
Connects short-term performance with long-term growth
It should leave people with two things:
Recognition for what they’ve done well
Direction for where to grow next
That’s it. Not 18 fields. Not forced ratings. Just honest, actionable reflection.
The role of the manager
Managers don’t need to be career coaches, but they do need to care.
The manager’s role in performance and growth:
Set clear expectations early — and revisit them often
Create space for feedback (giving and receiving)
Remove blockers and advocate for development
Ask the questions that unlock self-awareness
Development starts with conversations.
And the person who starts those conversations — again and again — is usually the manager.
What this looks like in a real team
A culture of performance and growth doesn’t have to be complicated.
A team lead runs monthly 1-on-1s using the same three questions
Peer feedback is exchanged casually, after key projects
Each quarter, people set one development goal and check in on progress
Recognition happens in public
Mistakes are surfaced, discussed, and learned from
No forms. No bureaucracy. Just trust, rhythm, and visibility.
The goal of performance is not compliance.
It’s capability.
When people understand what’s expected, feel supported, and see how their work connects to something bigger — they grow.
And when growth is part of the everyday, so is performance
