Performance Talk Guide for Leaders

How do performance talks benefit me?

Clear expectations: Performance Talks start with setting clear expectations for every team member. When expectations are aligned with business goals and communicated clearly, teams focus on work that truly moves the needle.
Continuous feedback: Regular, constructive feedback helps people understand where to improve and how to grow. When individuals improve, the entire team becomes stronger.
Accountability to expectations: Being explicit about whether someone is meeting expectations keeps everyone aligned and on track. Consistent delivery against expectations is what enables teams and the company to achieve their goals.

Start here: Define expectations for every person in collaboration with them and based on Our Values and ‣.
Ask for clarity early: If you need additional clarity around responsibilities in your team, reach out to your manager early and ask for support.
Tailor expectations to the individual: Expectations should be adapted to each role and each person. Take into account individual skills, experience, and strengths, and align responsibilities with where they can have the biggest impact.
Separate role expectations from goals: Split expectations into two parts: general expectations for the role and specific goals and measurables for the period until the next Performance Talk. Clearly define what success looks like for each goal using measurable criteria whenever possible.
Define success with metrics: For every goal or expectation, be explicit about how success will be measured. Use clear success criteria such as outcomes, quality standards, timelines, or impact metrics so both sides can objectively assess progress and performance.
Review and update regularly: General role expectations tend to stay stable over time, while short-term expectations evolve. Revisit and update expectations at the end of every Performance Talk so it’s always clear what is expected until the next one.

Prepare thoroughly: Arrive at every Performance Talk well-prepared.
Reflect on expectations: Review the expectations you set and assess how well the person delivered on them in recent months. Be clear and ready to communicate where expectations were met and where they were not. How We Measure Performance
Close the feedback loop: Revisit notes from the previous Performance Talk. Reflect on agreed improvement areas, acknowledge progress where it happened, and reinforce feedback where action was not taken.

Start with letting the team member reflect on two questions:
- What the person is excelling at?
- What could be improved? Where are the growth opportunities?
After the self-reflection, add your thoughts and observations and help team members discover any blind spots from their self-reflection.