lead / performance management as a productivity lever

TLDR
For leadership teams who want to use performance management as a lever for clarity, motivation and productivity. This programme helps senior teams build shared standards, stronger conversations and consistent approaches that improve engagement, alignment and results across their organisation.

Effective performance management is one of the strongest levers a leadership team has for improving productivity. When objectives are clear, standards are shared and conversations are consistent, performance systems move beyond compliance and become catalysts for progress.

While many productivity constraints in the public sector are structural, leadership teams can still make a measurable difference by improving clarity, feedback, engagement and alignment to purpose. This programme focuses on the aspects leaders can influence: creating focus, connecting people to shared goals and maintaining motivation even within formal frameworks.

Drawing on recognised public-sector models, including the Civil Service SCS framework, it provides practical structures and habits that make performance management work as a sustainable force for improvement, engagement and productivity.

Marie Thake, Associate Trainer at Teamshaper
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    • Strengthen the leadership team’s shared approach to setting objectives, feedback and review that link strategy to measurable outcomes.

    • Build confidence in leading constructive performance conversations that motivate and develop others.

    • Establish fair and consistent standards for assessing and recognising performance across the team.

    • Increase engagement and alignment to purpose as core motivators where financial levers are limited.

    • Connect performance management to collaboration, trust and productivity across the organisation.

    • A unified transparent approach to performance leadership across the team.

    • Stronger alignment between individual purpose, team contribution and organisational goals.

    • More confident and consistent performance conversations that strengthen trust and motivation.

    • Practical habits that sustain improvement and drive productivity, even within formal public sector structures.

  • 09:30 – Welcome and context
    Performance management as a leadership discipline.
    How clarity, fairness and consistency lift productivity.

    10:00 – From priorities to objectives
    Translating strategic aims into clear, measurable and motivating goals.
    Balancing what is delivered with how it’s achieved.

    11:00 – The performance conversation
    Practising structured, forward-looking discussions.
    Using evidence and tone to strengthen confidence and accountability.

    11:45 – Break

    12:00 – Shared standards and moderation
    Working through real examples to build consistency, reduce bias and align expectations.

    13:00 – Lunch

    13:45 – Supporting improvement
    Spotting early signs of difficulty, agreeing development plans and maintaining momentum.
    Practising how to address underperformance constructively while sustaining confidence and trust.

    14:30 – Engagement, recognition and alignment to purpose
    Exploring how leaders can connect individuals and teams to shared goals and a sense of achievement.
    Using intrinsic motivators - purpose, progress and recognition - to sustain performance where structural levers are limited.
    Building engagement through feedback, visibility and genuine appreciation.

    15:30 – Linking performance to productivity
    How strong leadership habits translate into collective productivity across public services.
    Turning insight into practical next steps for maintaining focus, fairness and improvement.

    16:00 – Commitments and next steps
    Agreeing the leadership team’s shared rhythm and performance principles.

    16:30 – Close

  • Core programme – Workshop
    A full-day highly interactive session delivered in person or virtually.

    The workshop is built around the leadership team’s real objectives and live performance challenges. It combines reflection, discussion and practical rehearsal to help the team establish a consistent, motivating approach to performance management that can be applied immediately.

    Optional add-ons

    Team assessment (e.g. GC Index)
    A diagnostic that reveals how each leader contributes to team impact and decision-making. This insight is used to shape the workshop discussion and strengthen collective performance leadership.

    Follow-up session
    A short virtual session around eight weeks later to review progress, share examples and refresh commitments.

    One-to-one coaching
    Individual coaching for selected leaders to refine their approach to objective-setting, feedback or moderation and to embed the learning in practice.

Lead - a Teamshaper training module