If you’re leading a team—or coaching one—you’ve probably seen how traditional performance reviews fall short. They’re backward-looking, often anxiety-inducing, and rarely drive lasting growth. The shift away from rigid review cycles toward ongoing development conversations is no longer a trend—it’s becoming a necessity.
As an executive leadership coach, I see how leaders are learning to ditch the outdated models and replace them with something more powerful: a growth mindset culture. This isn’t about adding more feedback or scheduling more meetings. It’s about reframing how you think about performance entirely—from judging to developing.
Why Performance Reviews Don’t Work
Annual performance reviews don’t support growth. They focus on the past, not the future. They emphasize evaluation over improvement. They tend to create pressure rather than trust. Most importantly, they reinforce fixed mindset beliefs. When someone hears “you’re good at this” or “you’re not suited for that,” it puts them in a box. That box limits how they show up—and how they grow.
Instead of helping people get better, these reviews often label them. That’s a problem if you’re leading a team where adaptability, learning, and accountability matter.
Growth Mindset: A Better Lens
Growth mindset, grounded in Carol Dweck’s research, is the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, strategy, and feedback. When leaders adopt this mindset, they treat performance as dynamic. Feedback becomes useful rather than threatening. Mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures.
This isn’t a soft approach. It’s a practical shift. Teams built on a growth mindset are more resilient, coachable, and aligned with long-term business outcomes.
From Reviews to Ongoing Development: How to Shift
The shift from performance reviews to continuous development requires a fundamental change in how leaders approach feedback and growth.
Start by dropping the ratings and scorecards. Instead, encourage regular, short conversations focused on what someone is learning, where they’re hitting blocks, and how they’re applying feedback. This makes development an ongoing part of work—not something reserved for once or twice a year.
Feedback should also be relational, not transactional. Managers who coach well ask thoughtful questions, listen more than they talk, and frame feedback as a shared effort. They might ask, “What’s one area you want to improve this quarter?” or “What feedback have you found useful recently?” These aren’t scripted coaching questions. They’re just good management.
It’s also important to connect development to real work. Development plans shouldn’t exist in isolation. Tie them to projects, stretch assignments, and objectives. Track progress openly so that people see development as a core part of their role—not a sidebar.
To make this work, you need managers who know how to coach. Most default to judging or evaluating because that’s how they were managed. Help them shift gears by training them to recognise growth opportunities during day-to-day work, use failure as a moment for reflection, and reinforce effort and learning rather than just outcomes. You can do this through coaching labs, peer sessions, or structured reflection time. The point is to make coaching skills part of the culture, not an afterthought.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
This shift can hit roadblocks. One common issue is feedback overload. When everyone is giving advice all the time, it creates noise. You don’t need more feedback—you need useful, focused feedback. Ask people to pick one area to work on at a time.
Another issue is vagueness. Telling someone to “improve communication” isn’t helpful. Instead, focus on specific behaviours, like how they summarize project updates or how they lead team meetings.
A third pitfall is inconsistency. Some teams adopt the new model while others stick to old habits. That sends mixed signals. To avoid this, bake development into your leadership expectations and performance systems. Make it part of how you lead—not just something you encourage.
Bottom Line
If you want a high-performing team, don’t double down on performance reviews. Build a development culture grounded in growth mindset. This doesn’t require more processes—it requires better conversations.
Shift your leadership lens. Ask yourself whether you’re treating performance as fixed or flexible. Are you helping people improve, or are you just tracking what they’ve done? Are you creating the safety to learn, or the pressure to prove?
The answers to these questions will tell you whether your organization is still stuck in old performance review habits—or whether you’re building something stronger.
Want to learn how to replace performance reviews with development culture? We can help Schedule a call or video conference with Kyle Kalloo or call us right now at: 1-844-910-7111
