Performance Management Training that Works

Performance Management Training that works

How to effectively manage performance, set goals & have difficult conversations

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“The Zynga team is incredibly appreciative of the impactful learning solutions! Conducting a total of ten customized Performance Management Training sessions in just three days is an impressive accomplishment. Please accept our sincere thanks for the monumental facilitation effort you gave and for delivering “out of the box” to our UK and India teams.

We truly appreciated your partnership and ability to flex in the moment. It’s been delightful. Forwarding a round of applause your way from all of us.”
Corri Cooper | Director Learning & Development | Zynga

“I’ve been associated with LSA for the last 8 years and have found them to be an extremely professional, well managed full service training and consulting organization. The quality of the approach, resources and deliverables of their performance management training solutions are superior.

LSA is well prepared and have definitely aligned to our corporate culture and our business priorities.”
Duane Schroeder | Human Resource Manager | Alps

“Thank you so much. The performance conversation workshop was so meaningful, and I came away feeling very excited and more prepared than ever before about working on my performance review.”
Heidi Warren | Sales Manager | Nice CXone

Effective performance management training is essential for anyone responsible for supervising others. Guiding and improving team performance spans a spectrum — from informal, day-to-day feedback conversations to formal annual appraisals that influence raises, promotions, and career development.  Unfortunately, a recent performance management study found that:

  • 45% of HR executives rate managers as having difficulty differentiating between high and low performers.
  • Nearly 40% of line managers believe that they lack the training and skills needed to manage employee performance effectively.
  • 60% of employees say their performance goals are not clearly aligned with business strategy.

It’s no surprise that employee relations issues are on the rise and that many employees feel “squeezed,” struggling to meet expectations with minimal guidance. The upside is that skilled managers can create a positive performance environment and clear communication system — one that not only drives superior results but also inspires discretionary effort and fosters loyalty from every team member.

Positive Performance Environments
When employees have clear goals, well-defined roles, and measurable success criteria — reinforced through thoughtful performance planning and constructive feedback — they are far more likely to commit fully to both individual and team success. Consistently fair, transparent, accurate, timely, and relevant performance management practices create a win-win, benefiting not only employees and managers but the organization as a whole.

Effective Communication Systems
Difficult performance conversations arise for many reasons — poor performance, weak interpersonal skills, missed promotions or raises, or any situation that sparks disappointment, confusion, or hurt feelings. Some managers avoid these conversations at all costs, while others lean in, equating delivering tough news with demonstrating “strength.”

Regardless of where you fall on this comfort spectrum, these conversations don’t have to be painful. In fact, they can become powerful developmental opportunities — for both the employee and the manager. Leveraging performance management training to build a high-performance culture aligned with your people, your values, and your business strategy is challenging — but highly rewarding.

Successful performance management requires managers to build strong, mutually beneficial relationships, tailor their approach to each individual, conduct respectful coaching conversations that deliver measurable results, and leverage both the strengths and intrinsic motivation of their team members.

Performance Management Training — Learning Objectives for Setting the Right Environment

  • Clarify and consistently communicate performance expectations aligned with business priorities.
  • Define and implement SMART objectives that measurably drive individual and team performance.
  • Elevate performance through structured, two-way feedback that reinforces accountability and growth.
  • Foster a culture of mutual respect supported by frequent, candid performance conversations.
  • Deliver accurate, actionable, and unbiased performance evaluations that improve decision-making.
  • Establish forward-focused performance targets that align daily work with strategic outcomes.
  • Strengthen performance coaching capabilities to increase both competence and commitment.
  • Diagnose and address motivational barriers that limit engagement and results.
  • Integrate performance discussions into individualized development plans to sustain long-term growth.

Performance Management Training — Learning Objectives for Ensuring Impactful Communication

  • Replace avoidance with capability by leading difficult conversations with clarity, tact, and confidence.
  • Apply practical tools to strengthen communication, alignment, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Differentiate and appropriately balance inquiry and advocacy to improve dialogue quality.
  • Adapt communication approaches to diverse personalities, contexts, and high-stakes situations.
  • Build proficiency in delivering and receiving feedback that drives behavioral change.
  • Navigate emotionally charged or sensitive conversations with professionalism and composure.
  • Translate conversations into clear commitments through structured, forward-looking action plans.

Target Audience
People managers who are interested in improving the short- and long-term performance and engagement of their teams.

To speak with an LSA Expert to learn about the Performance Management Training, Goal Setting, and Difficult Performance Conversations program customization and delivery options for your company, please contact us.

Related Information

LSA custom designed a Management Development program that is absolutely “on target” for our technical managers .

Their facilitator has done a superb job delivering the material in a way that is fast paced, highly interactive, and fun. She presents practical solutions to the critical people situations that our managers face every day.

I regard LSA as an excellent partner that understands our business needs and an important virtual member of our HR department.

Judith Onton
Vice President Human Resources

LSA has been a tremendous asset at my current company and my past company.

As an HR leader, I am always looking for ways to find external resources that can provide impactful leadership and management development expertise. LSA consistently does that for me.

The tools and practices are crisp, business relevant, and easy to apply on the job.

Ken Boehm
VP of Human Resources

A key to performance improvement is cultivating the proper type of motivation.

Since the performance management training, I have been much more focused on identifying and discussing how our actions in Engineering create value to IGT’s success.

The feedback has been very positive, the group appears to be more accountable for their actions, and victim loop reactions are less frequent.  Thank you!

Stewart Thoeni
Mechanical, HW Engineering Director

LSA custom designed a key management development solution for our Client Partner Teams on both coasts that aligned with our business priorities and organizational culture.

I’d recommend LSA to any company looking for a first class training and consulting partner that truly makes a behavior and performance impact.

Laurie Torres
Chief People Officer

Thank you to LSA Global for their partnership and support in helping us to design and roll-out highly needed and valuable leadership and management development programs that fit our unique situation.

I personally have partnered with LSA Global at four of my previous companies. It continues to be a delight.

We look forward to partnering with them for a long time to develop our managers and leaders.

Suzanne Kinner
VP Human Resources

Blackhawk Network

Harmonic has worked with LSA for over 8 years. We have found their partnership extremely beneficial.

We recently implemented customized Management Development Programs designed to support our company’s strategic initiative of hiring, building, and retaining key intellectual property and human talent.  It has had the greatest impact.

I would recommend LSA to any company that’s looking for a trusted training and development partner to take their leaders and managers to the next level.

Janice Passarello
Director of Human Resources

I continue to be impressed by the depth and breadth of LSA’s expertise in leadership development, and management development.

What a smart and client-centric group of great people who really know how to help leaders attract, engage, develop and retain top talent in a practical and results-driven manner.

Thank you LSA!

Tracy Esposito
Director, HR Business Partner

We partnered with LSA Global to help us invest in our people in the areas of performance coaching, diversity, and inclusion. They were very flexible in meeting our specific needs.

LSA exceeded my expectations from a speed, quality, and value standpoint. I would recommend LSA to anyone looking for a true business partner.

Anita Luckinbill
Director, Human Resources

We recently partnered with LSA Global to offer our Supervisors and Managers a customized and experiential management training program.

Everyone said it was by far the best management training program they had ever attended.

The content was rich and highly interactive, and the case studies were highly relevant to our unique situation.

Each participant walked away much better equipped to lead their teams.  Thank you LSA!

Jeff Coon
Director of Human Resources

For our go to training outsourcing partner, LSA provides exactly what we want and need – which is not an easy task.

As always, they design and deliver outstanding leadership development results and high quality management training programs that totally align with our unique business and talent strategies!

Elizabeth Siebert
Director, Organizational Excellence & Development

Intuit

In the Next Generation Management Training Programs, I was trained with practical and relevant skills and tools that have made me and my team more productive, motivated, and successful at collaborating with each other and other departments.

 

Kevin Ashman
Firmware Engineering Supervisor

We have been able to utilize LSA’s extensive expertise to leverage our investment in employee development.

The result has been the cost effective and highly effective delivery of high quality management training programs.

Thank you!

Steve Feller
Vice President, Human Resources

I continue to be impressed by the level of leadership development training and management expertise and quality of advice and facilitation that LSA has to offer.

What a smart and client-centric group of great people who really know how to help assess and develop high performing leaders.

Tracy Esposito
Director

zynga LSA Global gaming client

LSA helped change our entire culture around meetings, making them more effective and efficient, thus enabling our leaders, managers, and teams to concentrate on driving more business.

Thank you!

Terry Wassman
VP of Human Resources

What a refreshing change from the half-baked psycho-babble you normally get from training and consulting organizations. LSA gives you the practical and results-oriented assistance you need to define and reach your goals.

Their leadership, management, and sales expertise has been invaluable.  They think strategically and provide a results driven plan – not just a temporary fix.

They are great to work with, and even more importantly, they “get it!”

David Fiano
Director of Merchandising

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