Reimagining performance to support growth, connection and better conversations
The challenge
As the pace of change accelerated, Knox City Council wanted to build a happy, resilient and future-ready workforce, with community at its core.
G2 Innovation was initially engaged by the People and Culture team to lead an organisation-wide co-design of Knox’s Purpose, Vision and Values, alongside a contextual study of employee needs in relation to HR services.
One of the clearest opportunities to emerge was the Performance Development Review process. Employees were looking for something more meaningful than the existing tick-the-box approach. They wanted a process that focused less on judging performance and more on supporting growth, development and connection to the organisation’s new Purpose, Vision and Values.
What was needed
Knox did not need a polished version of the same old process. It needed a more human-centred approach to performance and development. One that would encourage regular, meaningful conversations, support employee growth, and better reflect the culture the organisation was working to create.
Our approach
We partnered with Knox City Council to redesign the Performance Development Review process from the ground up.
We began by facilitating design workshops with a diverse cross-section of staff to generate ideas for a radically different approach to performance conversations. From there, we supported teams to turn those ideas into simple paper-based prototypes and run quick, low-risk tests.
The concepts shifted the focus from performance assessment to growth and development, reframing the process as a regular conversation grounded in purpose, skills and values.
In phase two, we worked closely with the People and Culture team to develop the strongest concepts into a minimum viable product. The new approach was tested across different departments and environments, with feedback gathered at each step to shape further refinement. Each iteration built on the last, moving from paper-based prototypes to digital wireframes, and eventually to a final integrated digital tool ready for rollout.
In phase three, we supported the rollout of the new process across the organisation through group information sessions, feedback training and the empowerment of change champions.
The impact
The result was a more meaningful and human-centred approach to performance and development. Rather than a compliance exercise, the process became a tool for better conversations, stronger connection and employee growth.
By aligning the new approach with Knox’s Purpose, Vision and Values, the redesign helped reinforce the broader cultural shift already underway and gave leaders and employees a more practical way to bring those ideas to life.
Why it matters
Performance systems shape culture more than most organisations realise. When they are overly rigid or compliance-driven, they can drain energy and reduce trust. When they are designed well, they create clarity, support growth and help people do their best work.
That is what this work set out to do.
“Sensational! This is what I had hoped for and so much more. Very proud of what our people achieved. It has delivered some delightfully unexpected suggestions which we’re excited about taking forward.
Thank you G2!”
