Why Performance Reviews Make Companies Worse (And What Actually Works)...

Performance management systems: the corporate treadmill to nowhere. Organisations preach the gospel of improvement, then build systems so convoluted they’d make Kafka weep. Ratings are political, feedback is a weapon, and calibration meetings resemble gladiatorial combat. The result? A process so dark and detached from reality it should be a corporate snuff movie.Jimmy Barber and James Lawther aren’t here to sugarcoat it. They’re here to dissect why these systems fail: it’s because they’re designed by “Human Resource Professionals” who don’t understand humans. The hosts pull no punches: from the absurdity of ranking employees like livestock to the farce of annual reviews that demotivate 95% of the workforce. But they don’t just rant. They offer a lifeline. What actually improves performance? Regular, honest conversations. Clarity on purpose. Psychological safety. And, a radical idea, treating people like adults.The episode tackles two critical questions: If you could redesign performance management from scratch, what would you do? And if you’re stuck with a broken system, how do you survive it without losing your mind (or your soul)? The answer involves less process, more humanity, and a healthy dose of cynicism.Key points:Performance systems are built for control, not improvement.The best performers often just look good, which isn’t the same as being good.Focus on systems, not people, to lock in performance.Regular feedback beats annual reviews every time.If you can’t change the system, learn to play it.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.