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Traditional performance reviews may be doing more harm than good, contributing to workplace distrust, disengagement, and missed opportunities for employee development, according to international human resource experts who are urging organisations to rethink how performance conversations are conducted.

The issue took centre stage at the latest Strategic Insights Seminar Series hosted by the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), where business leaders, HR professionals, and public sector practitioners gathered to explore new approaches to building high-performing, people-centred organisations.

The seminar, titled Transforming Performance Conversations: The Strategic Value of the Feedforward Interview (FFI), was held on May 14, 2026, at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters and examined how organisations can move beyond traditional appraisal systems toward more meaningful, future-focused performance conversations.

Delivering the keynote presentation was Dr. Marie-Hélène Budworth, Professor and Director of the School of Human Resource Management at York University, Canada, who challenged many of the assumptions underpinning conventional performance management practices.

According to Budworth, traditional performance reviews often create anxiety, discourage honest dialogue, and unundermine trust between employees and managers. She argued that organisations must adopt more developmental approaches that focus on growth, learning, and continuous improvement rather than retrospective criticism.

“Feedforward creates psychological safety, openness, trust, and meaningful conversation that supports learning and development,” Budworth explained. Participants explored common challenges associated with traditional appraisal systems, including fear-based feedback, low employee trust, ineffective communication, and the perception that performance reviews are sometimes used as punitive management tools rather than opportunities for growth.

The seminar introduced attendees to the Feedforward Interview (FFI) methodology, an evidence-based approach that encourages employees to reflect on moments of peak performance, identify strengths, and develop actionable plans for future success.

Diane Edwards, Director of the Professional Services Unit at MSBM, said the discussion reflects a growing need for organisations to rethink how they engage, develop, and retain talent in increasingly complex work environments. “Many organisations invest heavily in recruitment, training, and talent development, yet continue to struggle with employee engagement and performance because the conversations taking place between leaders and teams are not producing trust, accountability, or growth,” Edwards noted.

“If organisations are serious about building high-performing cultures, they must move beyond outdated performance management practices and create systems that encourage continuous learning, meaningful feedback, and employee development.”

A key takeaway from the seminar was that performance management should not be confined to a single annual review. Instead, participants examined how ongoing coaching conversations, regular feedback, and strengths-based leadership approaches can contribute to stronger employee engagement, improved productivity, and healthier workplace cultures.

Budworth also noted that many performance management systems fail because organisations attempt to use a single process to simultaneously evaluate performance, determine compensation, support promotions, and facilitate employee development.

“Performance conversations shape more than individual outcomes,” she said. “They are opportunities to build organisational climate, trust, relationships, and leadership capability.”

The seminar also featured interactive roundtable discussions and practical role-playing exercises, giving participants an opportunity to apply elements of the Feedforward Interview process and explore how the approach could be adapted within their own organisations.

Through its Strategic Insights Seminar Series, MSBM continues to convene leading international experts, executives, and policymakers to address some of the most pressing leadership and management challenges facing Caribbean organisations. The series forms part of the School’s broader commitment to equipping leaders with practical, research-based strategies that strengthen organisational performance, improve workplace culture, and drive sustainable growth across the region.