Leadership & HR solutions
Better performance conversations
Performance conversations are harder when expectations have stayed implicit. Help managers describe the work, listen to the employee's perspective and agree on a useful next step before a concern becomes a recurring problem.
01
Separate observations from judgments
A statement such as 'you need to be more professional' gives an employee little to act on. A stronger conversation describes a specific behavior, its effect and the expected standard. Participants can practice rewriting vague feedback using examples from their own roles, while checking that their account is accurate and fair.
02
Make room for the other person's account
A missed commitment may involve capability, conflicting priorities or a misunderstanding of the task. Managers need to ask questions and listen before settling on the response. Practice can include an employee who disagrees with the feedback, so participants learn to keep the discussion focused without avoiding the issue.
03
Turn the conversation into follow-through
Agree on the action, the support available and the next review point. Connect this work to your existing performance process so managers use the same expectations in regular check-ins and formal reviews. If the standards themselves are unclear, competency-based HR work may be needed alongside communication and coaching skills.
Before we talk
Bring the situation into focus.
You do not need a finished brief. These details help us understand the work and discuss a suitable scope, format and timeline.
- Anonymized examples of difficult feedback situations
- Your current performance standards and review forms
- How managers document and follow up on agreed actions
Questions to consider
Planning the right starting point.
Does this replace our formal performance process?
No. The focus is the manager's conversation skills within your existing process. Share your policies and escalation boundaries so the learning fits the responsibilities managers actually have.
Can we use our own competency framework?
Yes. Existing behavior indicators give participants a concrete reference for feedback. If managers interpret those indicators differently, a separate competency-rating discussion may also be useful.
Clarity starts with a conversation.
Tell us about your situation and the people involved. We will discuss how better performance conversations could fit your priorities and agree what the engagement should cover.
- Phone
- 0939 464 7346
- Office
- 1106 Vertex Central,
Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City Get directions (opens in a new tab)