High-Growth Playbook
Performance Management
Harnessing performance management for business value creation.
Only 2% of CHROs believe their current performance management system inspires employees to improve. Yet performance management is the most important driver of growth – and the most broken.
Why performance management matters
Most organisations confuse performance management with appraisals. A once-a-year review cycle cannot create accountability, fairness, or growth.
The HGP Performance Management Playbook redefines performance management as a system of skills, tools, documents, behaviours, and culture practices. It ensures accountability at every level, builds resilience, and scales with your business.
Aligned execution
Drive strategy from the vision through the whole organisation. Clear goals cascade from board to frontline, ensuring every decision supports growth priorities and inve
Investor confidence
Demonstrate maturity with defensible performance systems. Evidence-based reporting builds trust with investors, boards, and regulators, reducing risk and strengthening governance.
Governance clarity
Establish accountability at every level. Reduce risk and build transparent systems to protect against bias, embed compliance, and ensure directors can demonstrate integrity in decision-making.
Cultural sponsorship
Lead from the top. By modelling fairness, clarity, and resilience, CEOs embed culture that sustains growth through pressure and change.
Systemic alignment
Keep functions moving in the same direction. Leaders ensure goals, culture, and priorities align across teams, reducing friction and duplication.
Decisive action
Transparent evidence enables faster, better decisions. Performance data provides clarity to act confidently on priorities and challenges.
Reduced noise
Managers handle performance issues earlier and more effectively. Leaders are freed to focus on strategy, growth, and culture sponsorship.
Credibility
By modelling behaviours and sponsoring consistent systems, leaders gain credibility as culture carriers and execution drivers.
Scalable systems
Implement systems and documents that work from 50 to 500+ employees. Processes flex with growth without losing fairness, consistency, or defensibility.
Legal defensibility
Reduce bias and grievances with transparent, documented evidence. Systems withstand challenge, lowering tribunal risk and safeguarding organisational reputation.
Employee engagement
Fair systems that provide clarity, feedback, and recognition increase engagement, retention, and motivation across the workforce.
Strategic HR
Managers own performance. HR shifts focus from daily firefighting to strategic workforce planning and capability building.
Practical coaching
Managers gain skills and confidence to manage employees. Feedback is regular, constructive, and embedded in team routines.
Fair reviews
Demonstrate maturity with defensible performance systems. Evidence-based reporting builds trust with investors, boards, and regulators, reducing risk and strengthening governance.
Governance clarity
Clear criteria and structured documentation reduce bias and build trust. Managers feel supported, not exposed, in tough conversations.
Performance confidence
Early interventions are easier with clear processes. Managers handle poor performance fairly, reducing stress and delay.
Motivation and recognition
Managers learn to recognise and motivate individuals effectively, even in hybrid or remote teams, sustaining energy and focus.
Clarity of expectations
Employees know exactly what’s expected, how their role links to vision and values, and how performance is assessed.
Recognition and progress
Transparent systems ensure contributions are seen, valued, and rewarded, strengthening motivation and trust in leadership.
Ownership of growth
Playbooks give employees tools and skills to own their personal development, with clear pathways for learning and progression.
Confidence in fairness
Bias is reduced and fairness made visible. Employees trust the process, creating psychological safety and stronger cultural resilience.
Framework connection
The Playbook is built on the HGP High-Growth Framework, ensuring consistency and scalability across all Playbooks.
- Core Conditions: clarity of direction, psychological safety, integrity, compliance.
- Performance Drivers: Mindsets (Feedback, Improvement, Collaboration, Responsibility), Strengths, and Skills tailored to each role.
- Behaviours & Tools: practical, observable practices that make performance management defensible and growth-focused.
This means performance management is not just a HR process, but a cultural engine embedded in everyday work.
What's inside (scope of Playbook)
- Aligning performance to vision and values
- Setting goals using SMART, OKRs, and KPIs
- Building coaching and feedback habits
- Structuring review cycles and documentation
- Managing capability and reducing bias
- Motivating and recognising contributions
- Adapting for hybrid and remote environments
Strategic benefits
- Sharper execution – goals and priorities cascade with clarity.
- Faster feedback loops – problems surface and resolve earlier.
- Fair, defensible decisions – bias reduced, compliance protected.
- Capability growth – skills and pipelines strengthened at every level.
- Resilient culture – systems reinforce trust, safety, and motivation.
- Investor confidence – scalable, evidence-based systems prove maturity.
“High Growth Playbooks turns performance management into a growth engine, not just a HR process.”
Name, Organisation
Introductory offer
50% discount available from 1st October 2025 - 31st March 2026.
Find out how high-growth playbooks can empower your team for optimal performance.