Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Performance Management

We provide full service talent management and talent development consulting services. Read our blogs in this category for stories and best practices from real clients and real research on Performance Management.

  • Lead Better: The Power of Values in Performance Management

    Lead Better: The Power of Values in Performance Management

    Last year, I had the privilege of facilitating leadership training at the managers retreat for one of our clients—a dynamic group of leaders committed to growing their impact and investing in their teams. We explored Horizon Point’s People First Method, diving into what it means to create a motivating environment where people can grow, and how to lead with empathy, appreciation, and accountability.

    This year, I had the opportunity to return and work with the same group for the same retreat. This time, we didn’t have to start from scratch—we built on the foundation we had laid and went deeper into effective performance management.

    Building on Shared Values

    We kicked things off by revisiting the key theme from last year, that leaders create the conditions for performance—not just by setting goals, but by empowering people, modeling values, and cultivating trust.

    Performance management can’t just be about metrics and compliance. At Horizon Point, we believe you can’t talk about effective teams without talking about ethics. That’s why this year’s retreat included a focus on values-based leadership and ethical behavior—how what we say we believe matches what we actually do.

    Inspired by Michael Schur’s book How to Be Perfect, we discussed the idea that ethical leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about effort. Schur writes:

    “If we really work at finding the means of our virtues…we become flexible, inquisitive, adaptable, and better people.”

    This mindset shaped how we approached each element of effective performance management. How do you give feedback that’s honest and respectful? How do you coach someone toward growth without imposing your own agenda? How do you document performance issues in a way that is fair and factual?

    These are not just management questions—they’re ethical ones.

    Four Pillars of Effective Performance Management

    Throughout the session, we worked through four key pillars of effective performance management, using industry-specific examples and interactive activities:

    1. Clarifying Expectations and Delivering Feedback
    Using the SBI (Situation–Behavior–Impact) model, leaders practiced giving clear, actionable feedback rooted in real scenarios. For many, this exercise revealed how much clarity and tone matter—and how easily feedback can be misinterpreted when those are missing.

    We like the Center for Creative Leadership’s resources for using SBI:

    2. Coaching Conversations That Drive Development
    We explored the GROW model and discussed the differences between coaching, mentoring, and correcting. Through small group role-plays, leaders sharpened their ability to listen, ask powerful questions, and support employee growth without jumping to solutions.

    We like this resource from NYU: The GROW Framework

    3. Creating a Culture That Reflects Values
    Leaders identified what a positive culture “looks like, sounds like, and feels like,” aligning those cultural cues with their everyday behaviors. The result? A shared language for reinforcing a high-trust, high-performance environment.

    We talk a lot about values at Horizon Point, including how values can shape your performance management system.

    4. Documenting Behavior Effectively and Objectively
    We wrapped the content with a practical look at documentation. Using mini case studies, managers practiced writing clear, objective notes that could support both development and accountability—crucial in regulated environments like that of this client’s industry.

    Leading with Purpose—Together

    Honestly, my favorite part of this trip was seeing these leaders again. Because we had already built trust and rapport in our first session together, we could push further this time—having real conversations about challenges, risks, and gray areas. And as we wove values and ethics into the technical skills of effective performance management, it was clear that this wasn’t a “one and done” training. When organizations commit to long-term leadership development, the impact is exponential. You create a shared foundation, build momentum, and keep growing together.

    Whether it’s a one-time retreat or a multi-year journey like this one, our team at Horizon Point is ready to partner with you. We bring structure, strategy, and storytelling to the leadership space—making it practical, personal, and rooted in purpose.

    Let’s build something together!

  • Grown men in tank tops usually aren’t my jam, but… can they teach us something about leading?

    Grown men in tank tops usually aren’t my jam, but… can they teach us something about leading?

    Grown men in tank tops usually aren’t my jam.

    So when Pat McAfee made his appearance on Gameday this year to replace a former Georgia football player that looked really good in a suit (more my jam), I was like what the heck? 

    I watched him for a minute, determined he was there to sensationalize, pull in a different type of audience, and create some new dynamic I wasn’t into. I thought I’d lost a little bit of respect for the Saturday morning football institution, even if Corso is still there picking his favorite team, glorified mascot head and all. 

    But my husband keeps showing me clips of McAfee’s show.  (To note, tank tops aren’t my husband’s jam either.  He’s even more buttoned up than I am when it comes to stuff like that.) 

    “You’ve got to watch this,” he’s said at least three times to me in the past two weeks. Usually when he says this, it is because he’s watched it and he knows I am going to take some organizational psychology/leadership lessons from it and run with it. 

    As I’ve watched, the popular host isn’t really sensationalizing anything- unless you take into account his frequent foul language- which is also, you guessed it, not my jam.  He’s teaching leadership and organizational psychology 101.  Lessons I try to teach myself and others each day.  Like: 

    • “Take care of your people.” Pay people what they are worth. You trying to short change everyone around you only leads to you short changing yourself. 
    • Stand up for what you believe in and don’t back down when people criticize you for it.  Ignore the outside “noise” both the good and the bad. 
    • “Humility drives you to success.” 
    • You have to customize your leadership to the people you are leading. 
    • Humor helps.  Deploy it often. 
    • Surround yourself with the GOATs of the world and listen to them. Learn from them. As I’ve watched and not just listened to the show, you see how attuned McAfee is to listening to his guests. He’s not silently interrupting- trying to think about what he is going to say next while someone else is talking- and he’s not literally interrupting either. He’s sitting there with his ears and mind on and he’s soaking it all in. 

    If you want to listen to the episodes that my husband keeps putting in front of me, here is the two most recent examples: 

    Pat McAfee Responds To Report He pays Aaron Rodgers “Millions” for Weekly Interviews

    Coach Saban Talks Punishment vs Discipline, How He Motivates His Team

    Thanks to my husband and Pat McAfee, I’m learning that it’s not wise to judge a book by its cover.  Leadership 101. 

  • The Mental Health “Connection”

    The Mental Health “Connection”

    Recently, I traveled to North Carolina for our annual family vacation. On Sunday, we attended First Baptist Church of Bryson City. The guest Pastor brought the house down on that rainy day with a message on love and acceptance. He described the ways in which we used to value connection with one another through meal time and went on to emphasize how important social connection is for our mental health. If you feel connected and cared for, he argued, then love has the ability to heal. 

    That’s wonderful to hear about in Church, but how does that translate to the mental health of an organization or, more specifically, remote workers?  As a person who has experienced the struggle with mental health, I can testify that just today as I sit here from the comfort of my home writing this Blog I’ve had some anxious thoughts and feelings come up. The people that I love are gone for the day and while the silence is useful for my concentration, it can also be deafening and lonely. You see, I need that connection for inspiration and motivation.

    There are many benefits to hybrid work. Forbes said it best “Hybrid creates flexibility in our lives and workplace, which contributes to employee satisfaction and productivity. Making it easier for them to balance their work and personal lives can result in less stress and burnout. Hybrid work allows people to work in a comfortable and familiar environment, which can promote feelings of safety and well-being.”

    However, what goes up must come down, and there are pitfalls to this setup as well. When I began working from home in September, it was an adjustment. Coming from a traditional 9-5 work schedule, the idea of flexibility challenged my thinking. For a few days, I longed to catch up my with my co-workers and to hear the latest news when I walked through the door. You see, I wasn’t missing the stress or rigidity of the job, I was missing the connection with others. It is good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Thank goodness it didn’t take long for me to shift my perspective and see the way that my Horizon Point Team members valued connection as much as I did. According to Gallup analysis, “it finds that engagement has 3.8x as much influence on employee stress as work location. How people feel about their job has a lot more to do with their relationship with their team and manager than being remote or being on-site.”  

    How can your organization create space for mental health or connection in the workday or week while working remotely? Horizon Point uses various touchpoints throughout our weeks and months. Mary Ila and I meet once a week either in person, by phone or virtually to talk through what she needs me to handle. We also have a Monthly Mingle to brainstorm new ideas, discuss plans for the future and to share a meal. Quarterly Planning is a longer meeting where we, for lack of a better term, plan for the quarter. There are also One-on-Ones during the month when we meet with Mary Ila to have meaningful conversation about what’s happening and what we would like to see happening in our careers.

    What I initially thought could be a challenge has proved to be a learning opportunity. The traditional way of working doesn’t have to be my future, and I can still connect with my co-workers in various ways and environments. There are new tools that I have in my toolkit to connect with others, and when I’m feeling a little lonely, there are certainly other ways to find inspiration and engagement rather than in an office setting. 

    At Horizon Point, we value work-life integration, and it turns out that my stress level is much lower. Even on days like today when I have some anxiety, a nice walk or phone call with a co-worker or friend decreases that feeling. I am much more comfortable than I would be experiencing those feelings in an office setting. Therefore, my overall mental health is much more in balance. 

    Does your organization support your mental health? At Horizon Point, I feel connected and cared for, which translates to love and healing.

    To read more about connection and working remotely, browse through these topics at The Point Blog:

    What’s Relationshipping, and How Do I Do It?

    Building the Bridge Between Survive and Thrive in the Workplace

    4 Ways Leaders Can Keep Remote Work Pros from Becoming Cons

    Benefits of Remote Work for Employees

  • 4 Workplace Innovations on Repeat

    4 Workplace Innovations on Repeat

    Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to serve on a panel discussing workforce and skills challenges created by the automotive industry’s shift to electric vehicles (EVs).  

    I’m no expert on EVs.  I’m no expert on cars. 

    But I drive one. And it broke down at the end of last week. 

    I got off the interstate from a work trip, headed into my hometown on a highway connecting the interstate to my neighborhood.  When I went to accelerate on the highway, the RPMs jumped way up, and it did not want to shift gears for me to accelerate effectively. Luckily, I got home going about 10 miles per hour, not trying to force the car to shift into second gear. 

    We had it towed to the dealership where I was told that the issue was “probably the transmission.”  I was then told it would take two weeks to get a technician to diagnose it. Then, if it was the transmission, it would be about two months before they could get to it.  

    I took a deep breath (I’m in my car A LOT, I’m not quite sure how to go without a car for a day, much less two months) and asked, “So is the challenge you all are dealing with because you don’t have enough labor?”

    He breathed a sigh of relief- I think he was afraid I was going to bless him out- and proceeded to tell me in great detail about all the labor challenges they have. Namely, that they had the only transmission guy in our county and that it takes two to three years to train someone effectively to fix transmissions.  He also told me there were 40 cars in front of mine if it was, in fact, the transmission that needed to be replaced. 

    We have a workforce shortage with the current labor skills needed to make and fix cars.  If we can’t handle the current challenges, how can we expect to handle future ones?  The good news is EVs don’t have multi drive transmissions, I have learned :).  Do we have people trained to work or gearboxes (my understanding of what replaces a transmission)?  I doubt it. 

    This is not just a phenomenon in the automotive industry, it is in almost all of them. As we innovate products, services, and technology exponentially, we’ve also got to continuously innovate our workplaces through people practices.  And, unfortunately, we are lagging behind here, thinking that what worked yesterday will work today.  It won’t. The labor force is telling this loud and clear. 

    We also need to capitalize on the opportunities brought about by innovation that can help us rethink the workplace and how work gets done and in what types of cultures it can succeed. 

    I think we could all take a good look back at the automotive industry and how Henry Food transformed it approximately 100 years ago to help pose us well for the next 100 years:  

    1. Early Exposure Matters: Henry Ford showed that early exposure to a variety of skills and work opportunities need to be widespread and that skills in one industry are readily transferable to another.  For example, Ford grew up on a farm. He taught himself to fix watches and this helped him learn basic mechanical skills. These skills, no doubt, helped him in creating “horseless carriages.”
    2. Learning by Trial and Error: This tinkering also shows that Ford learned by trial and error.  By doing. Failing. Trying again, and again, until it worked. 

    We need to be applying these truths in our homes and schools.  Exposing kids at an early age to a variety of domains and subjects and ways of thinking and giving them tools to “tinker” with is necessary for them to learn by trial and error.  I would also postulate that time to be “bored” fosters this tinkering too.  When kids are over scheduled, they don’t “play” and therefore they don’t “tinker.”  

    1. Compensation Matters:  Ford’s company was plagued by very high turnover rates.  According to The Henry Ford Foundation, “Turnover was so high that the company had to hire 53,000 people a year to keep 14,000 jobs filled. Henry responded with his boldest innovation ever—in January 1914 he virtually doubled wages to $5 per day.”   Ford realized that he needed to pay people a premium for the repetitive work they were doing, and that doing this would help lower costs, not raise them.  He also was very clear that the people he employed needed to be able to afford what they were producing.
    2. People don’t want to work all day, every day. They are more productive when they don’t.  Ford is largely credited with the creation of the 40-hour workweek (although union pressure may have led him there). He changed the workweek from six days to five without changing compensation. We are now in a world largely talking about the value gains in a four-day workweek. As innovations increase productivity, should people be able to take advantage of these gains to work less with the same pay? Or should we at least provide people with autonomy to decide how to do the work in order to produce the results that are needed?  I think these are discussions of merit. 

    Innovating is not just about creating something from scratch.  It also includes recycling the old to create the new. 

    How will you innovate your workplace through old lessons learned? 

  • 2 Key Places Where You Need a Rule Breaker

    2 Key Places Where You Need a Rule Breaker

    I was a hardcore rule follower as a child. I didn’t question rules in any form or the adults or organizational or societal factors that put them in place. I was on time, didn’t question when or how things were done in school, on the sports field, in my home, and in my community.  I did all the things I was “supposed” to do.  In fact, I don’t think I thought much about the why and reason behind much of anything, I just did as I was told. 

    For example, if a school supply list told me I needed 48 Ticonderoga brand pre-sharpened pencils (I don’t know if I actually ever had this on a school supply list with such specificity when I was a child, but you better believe my kids do now) on the first day of school, that’s what we brought regardless if it meant going to ten different places to find them.  Also, regardless of whether I liked that kind of pencil or thought they were the best tool to use. And if my mom wasn’t on board, I’d worry her to death until she followed the “rules” to the exact specification. I wasn’t coming with the “wrong” thing on the first day of school.  And the truth is, a lot of this probably helped me succeed in school. Education today is still by and large very much geared towards the industrial revolution environment that created it. 

    Now I see this on a supply list for my kids, and if Target doesn’t have that exact number packaged neatly in that brand, sharpened or not, we get what is available. And I’m getting what’s available for drive-up pick up. I’m not going into the store, and I’m most definitely not going to hunt them down. Invariably, they come in multiples of 18 and that never adds up to 48 evenly and because of all the other rule followers out there, they have zero left of the brand on said supply list.  I’ll grab two Target brand packages of 18 (yes, I know that is 36 not 48, and yes, I know some of you are just cringing thinking anyone would get less than what is on the list) because I know from experience to expect approximately 30 never used pencils to come back unopened in my kids stuff at the end of the year.  I just can’t bring myself to care, or have the time to do it.  What does it matter?  Especially when they don’t even use them!

    Basically, I’ve switched in my old age to someone with a much lower level of rules orientation. Described this way, “people with a high level of rule orientation will have a more rigid view, seeing fewer conditions under which it is generally acceptable to violate rules. People with low rule orientation will have a more flexible view, seeing more conditions under which it is acceptable to violate rules.” 

    Rules orientation is really a sub dimension of conscientiousness, one of the most researched dimensions of personality. And as Psychology Today says, “conscientiousness is generally a key ingredient for success—in love as well as work. It’s also a major predictor of health, well-being, and longevity.” 

    Here’s the breakdown of conscientiousness dimensions in a tool we use to help leaders build self-awareness called the Work Behavior Inventory: 

    Of course, you read through these and most people would think, man I’m going to hire someone that is high on all this stuff! Conscientiousness is, in fact, one of the key predictors of success across almost all job types. 

    But, I’d encourage you to pause on the rules orientation and consider whether you need someone that is high or low on this dimension if you are charged with hiring people.  And if you are considering career direction or wondering why the heck you hate your job so much, I would encourage you to pause and question whether you are low or high on rules orientation. Nothing creates a recipe for disaster more than a round peg in a square hole, and rules orientation is most often the lynch pin. Kris Dunn describes the need to understand rules orientation for cultural fit better than almost anyone else in his Workforce.com post. Read it. 

    So, where do you want to consider hiring someone with low instead of high rules orientation? Or if you are low in rules orientation, where are you going to thrive? I think there are two key spots: 

    1. In start-up and high-growth organizations where you are trying to create things, not maintain the status quo (as Kris’ post states, when you are in need of pirates, not the people in the Navy) you need someone with a lower tendency towards rules orientation.  

    One of the places we really like to use the WBI assessment because of its analysis of rules orientation is when we are advising Alabama Launchpad finalists.  These are entrepreneurs working to create and grow high impact start-ups across the state. A lower level of rule following contributes to higher levels of “Creative Innovator” and “Business Start-Up” occupational fit as seen through the WBI. These people are trying to create something entirely different from the pencil, so they most definitely aren’t following the rules in the pencil buying market in order to succeed.  They want to make the pencil obsolete. 

    2. Secondly, you’ll want to consider the need for low rules orientation folks in organizations that have always played by the rules, heck they invented them, but things are no longer working. Typically, they have major issues on their hands. This is often because they are more concerned with the rules than anything else, and that has led to the downhill slide.  

    These organizations need someone to come in and say, why did you buy that type of pencil in the first place?  Does the supply list even serve a purpose? Do your kids even use pencils anymore in school? Well, they use computers all the time now, so six pencils for the school year will do, and it doesn’t matter what kind they are because they are on a computer now all the time anyway. This is the case where you need to bring in a pirate or a band of pirates to ask a bunch of questions, challenge the status quo, shake things up and fix stuff, also most likely saving you some money too and restoring profitability in the case of for-profit businesses. 

    I find myself in the middle of both these scenarios right now as I’m trying to grow our business and also help a few key clients shake things up.  

    I think I’ll be a pirate for Halloween this year.  I would have never gone for a pirate custom as a kid, probably citing something like pirates are boys (cultural rules and norms).  Well, bring me an eye patch now!  In my view, being a pirate is a heck of a lot of fun.

    Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?