Marnie Brokenshire: Archaic performance reviews are sabotaging morale and innovation
Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 19 May 2025
Time's up on traditional performance reviews. They are outdated, unproductive and quietly killing performance
Traditional performance reviews are still alive in many workplaces and that is a significant problem for Australia's business sector.
According to Marnie Brokenshire, cofounder of Uncapped Potential and one of Australia's most outspoken experts on emotionally intelligent leadership and workplace performance, the annual appraisal ritual is not just ineffective, it is actively dragging down culture, creating disengagement and rewarding mediocrity over momentum.
"Traditional performance reviews are the corporate version of fax machines. They were never designed for today's workforce, its a classic example of how HR practice is not evolving, and we need to stop pretending they still serve a purpose," Brokenshire said.
HR is still clinging to a process everyone knows is broken
As far back as 2015, a major PwC survey of ASX150 leaders revealed what most already knew - performance review systems were failing. Leaders were not prioritising conversations, the process was seen as an administrative chore and coaching and feedback were underdeveloped. 61 percent of employees believed they should have equal ownership of their performance and not be subjected to a one way critique.
Almost a decade later, nothing much has changed.
"We have spoken to hundreds of high performers across industries and not one of them said the traditional review helped them improve. Sadly, most said it undid a year's worth of work. That is not performance management, that is cultural sabotage," Brokenshire said.
"I find it extraordinary that organisations claim to be innovative and yet they still implement archaic systems to review and develop their staff, and define their innovation as moving a paper approach to a digital approach. Society, people and performance have changed and it is about time organisations did as well."
The annual review is outdated, compliance driven and disconnected from real performance
The core problem, Brokenshire explained, is that the traditional review is backward facing, templated and event based. It is not designed to elevate people, it is built to tick boxes.
"We have seen it all. Managers photocopying forms, copying and pasting goals, handing out documents via email or HR systems with zero conversation. We have seen 12 months of negative feedback dropped on people all at once and we have seen HR departments pat themselves on the back because one hundred percent of 'forms' were returned," she said.
"This is not leadership. It is process theatre."
Modern performance management is continuous and emotionally intelligent
If organisations are serious about creating high performance cultures, they must replace outdated systems with dynamic, human centred alternatives.
In 2025, leading organisations are using a fluid framework, designed around the individual's needs not compliance needs. They are skilling leaders in the emotional intelligence competencies that makes performance management, coaching and mentoring a daily ritual. Employees are being empowered to shape their own destiny. Remuneration is being decoupled from performance conversations so that honest, growth focused dialogue can take place without fear or bias.
"These modern systems are not about compliance, they are about clarity, capability and connection," Brokenshire said.
You do not need more box ticking exercises, you need better leadership
Brokenshire's work has shown that when traditional reviews are replaced with frameworks that are strengths based, forward focussed, and grounded in emotional intelligence, results shift dramatically. Engagement lifts, accountability strengthens, retention improves and teams start having the kinds of conversations that actually drive performance.
"People want to own their growth. They want regular, relevant input, not vague commentary," she said.
"When I was in Corporate, I removed the traditional review model from every business I worked in over the past 20 years, nothing fell apart, in fact, everything improved."
If you want high performance, stop rewarding low effort
"Leaders need to stop saying they value performance while clinging to systems that protect avoidance, preserve mediocrity and ignore human motivation," Brokenshire said.
"If you want your best people to thrive, scrap the review and build something better - evolution is critical."
About Uncapped Potential (UP)
Uncapped Potential (UP) is a forward-thinking consultancy founded by Marnie Brokenshire and Nicole Mathers, dedicated to empowering businesses, Leaders and HR practitioners to drive high-impact strategies and build thriving, emotionally intelligent workplaces. The company focuses on providing innovative and practical leadership solutions, challenging traditional methodologies and redefining what's possible in corporate success. UP has rapidly grown, partnering with medium to large businesses, including major corporate entities.
