The Modern Leader
Performance conversations get labeled “spicy,” but they’re part of the job. Done well, they’re continuous, fair, and focused on growth with no surprises at review time.
Here’s how I run them.
What performance management really is
We tend to equate performance with promotions or PIPs. It’s broader than that: regular feedback, aligned goals, and shared ownership of outcomes.
“Well, first of all, it shouldn't be getting to the point where you're saying you are not getting a promotion… because you should be having those underperforming conversations with them along the way.”
Keep the bar visible year-round so nothing lands out of the blue.
How I measure performance
I look for consistent, visible impact and healthy collaboration:
- Own your outcomes. Are you delivering what you said, at quality, and raising risks early?
- Level-appropriate scope. Seniors drive initiatives end-to-end; associates partner and grow.
- Team behaviors. Communication, documentation, reliability, and how you show up for others.
Remember the baseline:
“A small portion of the company will be high performers and most people will fall in the 'performing' range. And that is absolutely fine.”
What I mean by that is we tend to expect to always have a team of high performers, and that's just not realistic. Your medium performers (or just "performers") are those who are getting the job done. Perhaps not going above and beyond, but you can still count on them.
Set expectations you can actually coach
Twice a year, we co-create goals and tie them to team work. We use SMART so progress is obvious:
Two practical notes:
- Start with values (what energizes them) before tasks.
- Treat your role as a coach. You're guiding your team towards goals, not setting the goals for them.
Handling underperformance (without theatrics)
If someone expects a promotion but isn’t there, that shouldn’t be the first time they hear concerns.
What I do:
- Show evidence, not vibes (missed commitments, quality issues, feedback excerpts).
- Name the gap in plain language, tied to the role rubric.
- Co-design the plan (skills, behaviors, milestones, owners, dates).
- Write it down (document what you talked about, what the resolution was, and what next steps are)
If they still don’t meet the bar after real support and clear checkpoints, you're no longer having a promotion conversation; you're having a performance conversation.
Don’t neglect your high performers
Keep them engaged without letting them burn out:
- Match work to motivators (scope, gnarly problems, recognition, money—ask, don’t guess).
- Rotate ownership and mentorship opportunities.
- Protect boundaries; high output isn’t a license to ignore rest.
Try this
- Feedback hygiene: Within 48 hours, give one concrete “keep doing” and one “do differently,” then log it.
- Promotion clarity: Publish the exact evidence you’ll look for this cycle (examples, not slogans).
What to read
📚 The Coaching Habit — Michael Bungay Stanier 📚 The Advice Trap — Michael Bungay Stanier
Listen to the full episode: Performance Management as an Engineering Manager