AGENCY LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME: Goal Setting and Performance Conversations

When it comes to performance management, Rhian Peebles describes it best: “It’s a nightmare, and no one wants to do it.”

Managers often find themselves tied in knots when it comes to performance and appraisal conversations. And more often than not, the root of the problem is actually quite simple: the goals were never clear in the first place.

For Rhian, it all starts with setting meaningful goals – and learning how to do this effectively.

Too many conversations begin with lofty goals that have no underpinning tactics whatsoever, making them incredibly difficult to measure later on.

As Rhian says: “If you can set people quite specific goals, and even tactics, it can be absolutely transformational for them and the agency.”

Another challenge for leaders is understanding where responsibility actually sits in these conversations.

“Part of the conversation is, ‘Who is responsible for what?’,” explains Rhian.

“As a leader, you’re responsible for the performance of the people you lead.”

“When it comes to someone’s career development, and upping their game, they are responsible – though you still have a role to play. The key is separating those things out from the start.”

That distinction changes the way leaders approach these conversations.

Performance management tends to be more directive, because it’s about whether someone is delivering against the objectives and expectations of their role.

Development, on the other hand, is about improvement and growth, which requires a different style of leadership, focused more on support, engagement and mentoring.

👉 In this Toolkit session, Rhian will explore how clearer goal setting can make performance management far more effective, and how leaders can approach these conversations in a way that feels constructive rather than personal.