Build a performance development programme that actually improves performance — not one people dread
Many organisations have performance reviews because they feel they should — not because the process genuinely helps people perform better. This practical workshop helps leadership teams design and run a performance development programme that is clear, fair, growth-focused and aligned to business goals.
This is an on-demand, in-house training course only; designed for leadership teams and HR teams.
Who this training is for
This training is ideal for:
Leadership teams and senior managers
HR leaders responsible for performance frameworks
Organisations reviewing or rebuilding their performance development process
Businesses that want performance conversations to support growth, not fear
Who this training is not for
This training is probably not for you if:
You want a generic, off-the-shelf performance review template
You’re only running performance reviews to tick a compliance box
You’re not interested in building high performing teams
You don’t have senior leadership support
The problems this training solves
Many performance development programmes fail because:
Goals are unclear, retrospective, or disconnected from business strategy
Managers lack confidence and skill in giving constructive feedback
Reviews feel like school reports rather than meaningful conversations
Feedback happens once a year, creating surprises and defensiveness
Leaders are not aligned on why performance reviews exist at all
Biases creep into ratings and decisions, undermining trust
This training tackles these issues head-on.
What you'll get out of this performance development programme course
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
Explain the essential elements of an effective performance development system
Clearly articulate why their organisation has a performance development programme
Design goal-setting processes aligned to organisational goals
Apply growth mindset principles to goal setting and feedback
Run employee-led goal review meetings and check-ins
Deliver constructive and positive feedback that promotes learning
Prepare for and run productive end-of-year performance reviews
Apply rating structures fairly and confidently (where appropriate)
Identify and mitigate common cognitive biases in performance ratings
Course delivery and practical info
Delivery options
This course is delivered in-house only and requires in-person attendance for maximum impact.
It’s designed for leadership teams, HR teams, or a group of department heads.
Practical info
Time commitment: one day
Location: your premises or a training venue of your choice
You'll walk away with
A shared understanding of your organisation’s goals, and how they translate to individual goals
A co-created performance development programme that fits your organisation.
Why choose Epic People as your training course provider?
This isn’t theory-heavy HR training.
Epic People brings real-world HR, leadership and coaching experience to help organisations design performance development programmes that:
Make sense to leaders and employees
Support psychological safety and growth
Reinforce accountability without fear
Actually improve performance over time
The focus is on practical application — not paperwork for paperwork’s sake. We’ve been there, done that, and know what does and doesn’t work in the real world.
Course overview - creating and running performance development programmes
Key themes covered include:
Starting with why
Why have a performance development programme at all?
What problems are you trying to solve?
Goal setting that drives performance
Aligning organisational, team and individual goals
SMART and stretch goals
Growth vs fixed mindset in goal setting
Collaborative goal setting with employees
Ongoing goal review and check-ins
Regular, meaningful goal reviews
Removing barriers to performance
Avoiding surprises at year-end
Employee-led performance conversations
Preparing managers and employees
Structuring productive goal and feedback meetings
Giving constructive and developmental feedback
The COOL feedback model
Moving beyond vague praise or judgement
Creating learning-focused conversations
End-of-year performance reviews (that don’t suck)
Preparation for leaders, managers and employees
Running effective review meetings
Linking reflection to future development
Ratings and bias
To rate or not to rate
Rating options and calibration
Understanding and managing common cognitive biases
Booking and next steps
If your organisation is ready to move away from painful performance reviews and towards a performance development programme that actually works, let’s talk.
We’ll discuss your current approach, what’s working, what’s not, and how this workshop can be tailored to your organisation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a performance development programme?
A performance development programme is an ongoing approach to setting goals, reviewing progress, giving feedback and supporting growth — rather than a once-a-year performance review. It focuses on continuous improvement, learning and alignment with business goals.
How is performance development different from performance management?
Performance management is often reactive and focused on underperformance or compliance. Performance development is proactive — it aims to build capability, clarity and performance over time through regular conversations, goal reviews and feedback.
Can this training be tailored to our organisation’s existing framework or tools?
Absolutely. The workshop is designed to align with your organisation’s goals, values, culture and any existing performance frameworks or systems you already use.
Is this training suitable for organisations without a formal performance review system?
Yes. This workshop is particularly valuable for organisations reviewing or refreshing an existing system.
Do you provide performance development templates or tools?
Yes. This workshop is suitable whether you’re building a performance development programme from scratch or reviewing an existing approach that isn’t working as well as it should. In fact if you don’t have a performance review system, this course should be your starting point.
Does this cover managing poor performance?
We focus on principles, structure and capability. We provide lots of tools that you can take back to the workplace and use immediately. We can co-cfreate any templates in the workshop. We can also discuss what software provider you might want to use.
You might also be interested in ...
Managing poor performance
This practical course helps managers confidently address underperformance early, fairly and lawfully. It complements performance development programmes by clarifying when support and development are no longer enough — and how to move into performance management conversations with clarity, confidence and care.
Empowering your team using coaching skills
Performance development works best when managers know how to coach, not just assess. This course builds managers’ capability to ask better questions, support problem-solving, and run ongoing performance conversations that build ownership, accountability and growth between formal reviews.
Building high performing teams
Individual performance doesn’t exist in a vacuum. This training focuses on the team environment — trust, clarity, psychological safety and shared goals — that enables performance development programmes to succeed and sustain high performance over time.
Social intelligence training
Strong performance development relies on managers’ ability to read situations, adapt their communication, and respond appropriately to others. Social intelligence training builds awareness of how behaviour and interpersonal dynamics impact performance conversations, feedback, trust and engagement.
Ready to build a performance development programme that supports growth, accountability and trust — not dread?
Let’s talk about running this course in-house for your team.
