In the Flow of Work

Jennifer Turner, Senior Director of People Operations at G2, joins Gavin to unpack what performance actually looks like inside a high-performing culture. Her perspective stands out because she treats performance less like an HR event and more like a daily operating rhythm grounded in clarity, feedback, and trust.In this episode, Jen shares why managers need to think like coaches, why “feedback is a gift” only works when it’s specific and timely, and how strong expectations help eliminate surprises. They also explore the role automation can play - not to replace judgment, but to make performance conversations easier and more consistent.It’s a practical conversation for HR leaders looking to build performance systems that feel lighter for managers, clearer for employees, and more connected to how work actually gets done.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest:⁠Gavin Johnston⁠ | ⁠Amin Palizban⁠ | ⁠Jennifer Turner

Many of you know the famous Stephen Huerta. If you don’t, he is the co-host of Modern People Leader and a 25-year HR operator whose career spans consulting, corporate HR, HR tech, and media. He brings a sharp point of view on what managers are really carrying right now.In this episode, Stephen breaks down how HR’s push for scale quietly dumped performance work, survey follow-up, and talent development onto managers - then AI showed up and raised the stakes again. The conversation gets into manager overload, change management, trust, and why performance reviews are still here even if nobody loves them.Amin and Gavin push on what better looks like: less admin, better feedback, and performance inputs captured in the flow of work so talent decisions can get faster, cleaner, and more fair.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Stephen Huerta

Ryan-Mae McAvoy, VP of People Ops at Blackthorn, joins Gavin Johnston to share how she thinks about performance when a company is scaling fast, staying remote, and trying to keep trust intact.We get into what managers actually need when “vibes” stop working - why Blackthorn treats bi-weekly 1:1s as non-negotiable, how to add guardrails without creating red tape, and why clarity beats ratings when you want fairness and real accountability.In the Flow of Work exists to help HR leaders build performance systems that managers can run and cultures people want to stay in.This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Ryan-Mae McAvoy

Natania Mathany, VP of People at A Thinking Ape, shares how they build great managers in a remote team without drowning everyone in process.We talk about the leadership gap that shows up when strong ICs get promoted, and how ATA built a clear manager baseline that still leaves room for personal style. Natania breaks down their non-negotiable bi-weekly 1:1s, how they shipped manager training in modules (before it was perfect), and the feedback loops they use to keep improving it through surveys, skip levels, and manager roundtables.---In the Flow of Work exists to help HR leaders build better performance systems and stronger cultures.This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Natania Mathany

Kyrie Burgoine is the Director of People Ops at Ravelin, and she’s spent the last few years building performance practices that fit how their teams actually work - especially in a company with high tenure and a lot of trust.In this episode, Kyrie walks through how Ravelin handles performance without formal ratings or rigid frameworks. We get into what it looks like when each department runs things a little differently, how she helps first-time managers get comfortable giving tougher feedback, and why underperformance can stick around longer than anyone wants in a “too nice” culture. We also touch on how AI is starting to show up in learning and growth.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.Connect with the hosts and guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Kyrie Burgoine

Stephanie Tate is the Chief People Officer at Ccube and founder of InnerCONNECTED. She brings a rare mix of HR leadership, neuroscience, and real operating experience in high-growth tech.In this episode, we unpack why annual performance reviews fall apart: our memories are biased, the data already exists in tools like Slack, GitHub, and Jira, and most “performance issues” are really leadership and system failures. Stephanie also shares why 12-week cycles reduce cognitive load, tighten alignment, and make development more collaborative.Because better performance systems should help people do their best work - and build healthier cultures while they do it.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Stephanie Tate

In this episode, Gavin sits down with Heidi Germain, VP, People at Endor Labs, a fast-growing, engineering-heavy startup, to unpack what really changes when you move from HR business partner into the VP seat.They dig into the complexity of being both peer and advisor on the exec team, how to avoid giving “cheap feedback” to high performers, and why simple internal job descriptions and consistent templates beat overbuilt frameworks. You’ll also hear how Heidi thinks about stay interviews, one-on-ones, and documenting feedback without turning every meeting into a legal artifact.If you are building performance systems in a technical org or stepping into a bigger role, this conversation will give you practical ways to make reviews lighter and ongoing performance conversations stronger.Book Recommendation: The Tao of Coaching [click here for Amazon link]—This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.—Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Heidi Germain

Jennifer Shewan, VP of People at Wonolo, joins the show to unpack what performance management really looks like before, during, and after moments of major change. With years of experience navigating reorgs, growth, and hard decisions, Jennifer brings a grounded, human perspective on leading through uncertainty.In this episode, we explore why transparency matters more than perfection, how managers carry the real weight of change, and what signals leaders should watch for when performance starts to drift. Jennifer also shares practical guidance on feedback, manager preparation, and rebuilding trust after disruption.At its core, this conversation is about helping HR leaders design performance systems that support people, not just processes, in the flow of real work.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and the guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Jennifer Shewan

William West, VP of People at Wrapbook, joins us to unpack what it takes to rebuild performance management inside a high-urgency, fast-scaling company. With three distinct microcultures — entertainment, payroll, and tech — William shares how he stripped down a noisy system, rebuilt trust through clarity, and shaped performance around the reality of daily work. We dig into the pressure of operating in a complex industry, the shift toward manager-led development, and why productivity is becoming the next frontier for People teams.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | William West

Valentina, Head of People at Codurance, joins us to unpack how a flat, technical organization can still run a thoughtful and scalable performance model. With a team distributed across client projects and a culture built on collaboration, her perspective offers a rare look at performance design without traditional hierarchy.We explore how Codurance shifted from two overstretched regional directors to a distributed system of Performance Leads, Career Companions, and Engagement Managers. Valentina breaks down why continuous feedback became non-negotiable, how they support a highly neurodiverse workforce, and what fairness looks like when multiple voices contribute to someone’s growth.At its core, this episode is about building performance systems that match how people actually work — the mission behind every conversation on In the Flow of Work.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Valentina Soricaro

Conor Sweeney, Global VP of People & Talent at Form Health, joins Gavin and Amin to share how he’s rethinking performance management inside a fast-growing healthcare company serving both clinicians and corporate teams.Conor explains why performance management is never “done,” how wellness and performance overlap, and why true buy-in comes from building with people, not for them. The conversation dives into balancing clarity, growth, and culture across two very different workforces - and what “purpose” really looks like when scaling culture in healthcare.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and our guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Conor Sweeney

Wendy Pat Fong, a senior program and product leader working in Microsoft’s AI organization, joins Gavin and Amin to unpack how AI is reshaping the way growing teams manage performance.Drawing from her background in both HR and AI, Wendy breaks down the trends she’s seeing across mid-market companies, why scaling performance requires protecting the human element, and where AI helps - and where it can quietly get in the way. The conversation also tackles the real build vs. buy dilemma and the hidden costs teams overlook when trying to scale performance with homegrown systems.--This episode was brought to you by Topicflow - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.--Connect with the hosts and our guest:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Wendy Pat Fong

Sascha Kasper, CIO & CHRO at 3 Screen Solutions (3SS), joined In the Flow of Work to discuss what it means when HR & IT merge. We talked about how merging people and tech removes friction, drives performance, and builds culture that evolves with change.--This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.--Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Sascha D. Kasper

Geri Murphy, Founder of Sinann People and seasoned fractional Head of People, joined us on In the Flow of Work.We talked about what it really means to reward top performers, why the phrase is often misunderstood, how hybrid work changes visibility and fairness, and what it takes to build a culture that rewards growth without creating burnout or bias.---This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.---Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Geri Murphy

Shannon Derbyshire, founder of Performance Catalyst Consulting, joins us to share what she’s learned helping HR teams turn painful review cycles into meaningful development moments. With a background leading people programs and advising scaling companies, Shannon brings a rare mix of empathy and practicality to how performance really gets built.We dig into why reviews still trigger anxiety, how to build feedback habits that stick, and what fairness looks like when every manager defines “good” differently.- - - This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management.- - -Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn:Gavin Johnston | Amin Palizban | Shannon Derbyshire