Quick Check‑In: What's the headline for today?

• In one sentence, what prompted you to explore changing your performance review process now?
• Who is on your short list of stakeholders for this initiative (names or roles)?
• How urgent is solving this problem from your perspective? Options: Critical—must fix within 3 months, High priority—within 6 months, Medium—within 6–12 months, Low—longer term
• What would success from this initial discovery look like to you by the end of this conversation?
• Who else should be in follow‑ups so we can move quickly if there’s alignment? Options: Head of Talent/People Ops, CHRO/VP People, Compensation/Rewards, HRIS/People Systems, Finance, Business Unit Leader, Other

When 'Fine' Is Actually Broken

• What if your current review process isn’t just outdated—but actively undermining manager credibility—how would that show up in your organization?
• What concrete evidence do you have that reviews are not trusted (survey items, participation rates, completion times, calibration flags)? Options: Employee survey scores, Manager survey scores, Low completion rates, Late submissions, Calibration disagreements, Qualitative HR feedback, Other
• Tell me about the last time a review outcome led to a visible problem (escalation, disengagement, wrong promotion/compensation). What happened?
• On a scale from 1–10, how much do managers trust the current review outputs for compensation or promotion decisions? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• How long have you observed these trust issues—months, years, or multiple cycles? Options: Less than 6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, Multiple cycles/years

The Human Cost: Who’s Feeling the Burn?

• If you imagine the people most impacted by the broken process, who comes to mind first—and why might they be quietly disengaging?
• Which groups report the strongest negative sentiment about the reviews? Options: Individual contributors, First‑time managers, Senior managers, High performers, People managers in certain functions, New hires, Other
• How do managers describe their experience running the current reviews—what words do they use (e.g., burdensome, performative, unclear)? Options: Burdensome, Time‑consuming, Ineffective, Politically charged, Ambiguous, Fair, Other
• Tell us about an example where a manager didn’t coach because the process demanded form‑filling instead—what was the outcome for the employee?
• How does this situation make you feel as a leader responsible for people practices?

Why Past Fixes Didn’t Stick (and What We Learned)

• Why do you think prior attempts to change performance management didn’t deliver lasting results?
• Which of these barriers played the biggest role in past failures? Options: Lack of manager training, Poor change management, Tool poor fit/usability, Complex integrations, Insufficient stakeholder buy‑in, Unclear success metrics, Other
• When you attempted a change, what early signals told you it was failing—and how long did you wait before pausing?
• How have managers responded when asked to adopt new workflows (enthusiasm, compliance, avoidance, vocal resistance)? Options: Enthusiastic, Compliant but quiet, Avoidant, Vocal resistance, Mixed
• If you could rewind one prior initiative and do it differently, what would you change first?

If Performance Management Could Actually Feel Different

• Imagine a year from now managers are actively coaching, ratings are trustworthy, and calibration is smooth—what are the first three things you’d notice?
• Which outcome matters most for your leadership team right now? Options: Improved manager coaching, Reliable calibration decisions, Faster compensation cycles, Better employee engagement, Clearer development paths, Other
• What adoption or behavior change signals would make you comfortable moving from pilot to production? Options: % managers using check‑ins, % review completion, Calibration readiness score, Qualitative manager feedback, Compensation alignment metrics, Other
• How would you want to see manager behavior change reflected in day‑to‑day work (examples of changed habits)?
• Which time horizon feels realistic for demonstrating meaningful change—6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, or longer? Options: 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9–12 months, Unsure

Rules, Systems, and Data — Where It Stalls

• What if integrations—not people—are the reason change stalls; which systems are most likely to trip you up?
• Which systems do you currently require new performance data to flow into? Options: HRIS, Payroll/Compensation, LMS/Learning, Talent/Successions, Analytics/BI, None yet, Other
• Do you have a canonical employee identifier and data owner for integrations? Options: Yes—single canonical source, Partial—multiple sources with rules, No—fragmented identifiers, Unsure
• What mapping work have you already done (titles, business units, pay grades) and how long would it take to produce a mapping spec? Options: Already complete, Partial (some mappings), Not started, Unsure
• How would a failed integration affect your willingness to proceed—pause, pilot only, or keep going with manual workarounds? Options: Pause entire program, Proceed with pilot only, Use manual workarounds, Depends on scope

Who Needs to Be in the Room (and Who’ll Block It)

• If we needed a single executive sponsor to unblock decisions, who in your organization fits that role and why?
• Which stakeholders tend to escalate or slow projects like this? Options: Finance/Comp, Legal/Compliance, IT/InfoSec, Business Unit Heads, Union/Works Council, HR Ops, Other
• What are the typical concerns each of those stakeholders raise (data privacy, cost, change fatigue, accuracy)?
• How politically sensitive are calibration and compensation conversations in your culture? Options: Very sensitive, Moderately sensitive, Mildly sensitive, Not sensitive
• What decision‑making process do you use for vendor selection (committee, consensus, executive sign‑off, RFP)? Options: Executive sign‑off, Small committee, Cross‑functional committee, Formal RFP, Informal evaluation

Small Experiments, Big Evidence

• What if a 6‑week pilot could prove the concept—what minimal outcomes would convince you it’s worth scaling?
• Which pilot design makes most sense for you? Options: Small team/one function, Cross‑functional cohort, Manager cohort only, Geography based, Role band based
• How large would the pilot need to be to be credible (number of managers or employees)? Options: 10–25 users, 25–100 users, 100–500 users, 500+ users, Unsure
• What acceptance criteria would you require to call a pilot successful (quant and qual examples)?
• What internal resources can you commit to running a pilot (time, SMEs, data owners)? Options: Dedicated PM/SME, Shared HR Ops time, IT/Integration support, Executive time, Limited/no resources

Decision Signals: How Will We Know This Is Working?

• If you had to pick three KPIs today that prove manager behavior changed, which would you choose? Options: % managers doing regular check‑ins, % feedback instances logged, Calibration readiness score, Employee engagement lift, Compensation alignment rate, Promotion quality metrics, Other
• Which of these is non‑negotiable to your CFO or CHRO for production rollout? Options: Calibration reliability, Cost neutrality, Clear ROI in 6–12 months, Security/compliance, User adoption thresholds
• How would you prefer to track adoption — dashboards, weekly reports, or periodic qualitative check‑ins? Options: Live dashboards, Weekly status emails, Monthly business reviews, Quarterly reviews, Qualitative interviews
• What frequency of proof points do you need to keep sponsors comfortable (weekly, monthly, quarterly)? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Ad hoc as needed
• Where would you draw the line and call a pilot a 'no‑go'?

Timing, Budget, and Trade‑Offs — The Practicalities

• If speed matters, what’s your ideal go‑live window for a pilot and for production? Options: Pilot in 4–6 weeks, Pilot in 6–12 weeks, Production in 3 months, Production in 6 months, Unsure
• What budgetary approvals would we need to secure for a pilot vs production? Options: No budget—internal resources, Small pilot budget, Formal CapEx/OpEx approval, Multi‑year contract needed, Unsure
• What trade‑offs are you willing to make to move faster (reduced scope, manual interim integrations, smaller pilot)? Options: Reduced scope, Manual interim workarounds, Smaller pilot, Longer parallel run
• Who signs the purchase or pilot statement of work in your organization? Options: CHRO/VP People, Head of HR Ops, Procurement, Finance, IT/Legal
• What procurement or legal constraints should we be aware of up front (data residency, vendor terms)?

Next Steps: What Commitment Looks Like

• If you left this meeting ready to proceed, what would be the single next action you’d want from us? Options: Detailed pilot proposal, Technical integration checklist, Executive brief deck, Reference calls, Proof of concept/demo
• Who needs to review the pilot proposal internally before you can say yes? Options: CHRO/VP People, Finance, IT/InfoSec, Business Sponsor, Procurement, Other
• What timeline feels realistic for you to review and come back with a decision (days/weeks)? Options: Within 3 business days, Within 1–2 weeks, Within 2–4 weeks, Longer than a month
• What risks would make you pause before committing to a pilot with our platform? Options: Data security, Integration complexity, User adoption, Cost, Lack of measurable outcomes, Other
• Finally, what would make you excited to get started?

• Pre-Work & Current State Alignment
• Scenario Walkthrough — Manager Workflow
• Scenario Walkthrough — Calibration & Analytics Proof
• Validation & Mutual Confirmation Workshop

• Both parties to schedule the pilot kickoff meeting and assign day-to-day owners for execution and measurement.
• Customer to provide two real goal examples and three historical review entries to be used in the next walkthrough.
• Seller to capture baseline manager behavior metrics (from pre-work data) for later comparison.
• Seller to document any gaps in required data fields and propose mapping solutions for each integration.
• Recap Key Calibration Pain Points
• Prove the platform can create calibration-ready packets that remove manual aggregation and provide defensible evidence for pay decisions.
• Validate that analytics surface the root causes of rating variance and signal manager behavior change.
• Agree on the acceptance criteria for calibration reports (fields, time-to-produce, anonymization rules).
• Customer to provide a sample compensation rule set and a subset of historical ratings for mapping into the calibration packet.
• Seller to produce a draft calibration packet and an analytics snapshot for the customer's review.
• Customer to confirm which compensation/HR decision owners will validate the packet during the pilot.
• Three-Sentence Review
• Customer formally validates that the demonstrated experience achieves the agreed future-state outcomes.
• Agree on concrete pilot success metrics and acceptance criteria (numeric thresholds and decision rules).
• Confirm pilot scope, timeline, owners, and the date for pilot kickoff.
• Document any remaining data or integration gaps with assigned owners and deadlines.
• Customer to sign off on the pilot scope and acceptance criteria document.
• Seller to deliver the pilot project plan with milestones, owners, and measurement dashboard within 3 business days.
• Customer to provide final dataset access (or secure SFTP/connector credentials) and SSO/integration contacts.
• Introductions & Objective
• Produce and agree to a single-sentence current state describing exactly what's broken and who is affected.
• Quantify the consequence in specific metrics (e.g., review completion time, % of managers skipping coaching, compensation delay days).
• Define the one-sentence future state (operational outcome) that the solution must prove.
• Confirm stakeholder list, pilot scope, and the data/sample accounts required for scenario walkthroughs.
• Customer to provide: most recent engagement/performance survey results, review cycle artifacts, and concrete KPIs cited as consequence evidence.
• Customer to supply an org chart and list of pilot managers (3–10) plus 5 sample employee accounts for live scenarios.
• Customer to deliver integration inventory (HRIS, payroll, LMS) and point-of-contact names for each system.
• Seller to prepare a one‑page 'what success looks like' draft based on the meeting's agreed future state for validation in the next session.
• Recap Pre-Work Outcomes
• Demonstrate how manager workflows change (less admin, more coaching) and produce the defined future-state outcome.
• Validate that goal templates, check-ins, and feedback flows address the exact problems the customer named.
• Agree on the manager behavior metrics to track in pilot (e.g., check-in frequency, response time to feedback, coaching prompts completed).
• Seller to update the demo scenario per customer feedback and circulate a revised script.
• Customer to nominate the pilot manager group and confirm availability for pilot testing.
• Customer One‑Sentence Current State
• Highlights of Proof (Diagnosis → Proof → Validation)
• Data Flow & Integration Mapping
• Define Manager Persona & Example Scenario
• Gap & Risk Review with Mitigations
• Consequence: Metrics & Impact
• Live Walkthrough — Goal Creation & Alignment
• Live Walkthrough — Calibration Packet Generation
• Live Walkthrough — Analytics & Root Cause Exploration
• Pilot Success Metrics & Acceptance Criteria
• Live Walkthrough — Check-ins & Feedback Flow
• Define the Desired Future State
• Scope, Stakeholders & Data Checklist
• Decision: Pilot Scope, Timeline & Owners
• Impact Mapping
• Compensation & Decision Flow Proof
• Close: Commitments & Next Steps
• Validation Checkpoint
• Validation Checkpoint

• Provision platform tenant and admin access
• Set role-based permissions and org hierarchy
• Integrate HRIS via SCIM/API and sync directory
• Map payroll and compensation fields to platform
• Configure goal libraries and objective templates
• Enable goal alignment rollups from team to org
• Configure rating models and calibration parameters
• Activate calibration analytics and dashboards
• Enable automated performance-summary generation
• Migrate historical performance and goal data
• Integrate LMS and learning-path links with profiles
• Deploy manager enablement training sessions
• Deliver HR admin training and configuration handoff
• Set up audit trails, data retention, and compliance logs

Provision platform tenant and admin access

• Which environment(s) do you need provisioned for the project? Options: Production, Pilot/Test, Sandbox/Staging, All of the above
• How many platform administrators will need full access initially? Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, 10+
• Do you require SSO/IdP integration for admin access during provisioning? Options: Yes, No
• Do you have naming or tenant-isolation requirements (e.g., region, legal entity)?
• Preferred data residency/region for the tenant? Options: US, EU, APAC, Other / Unsure
• Target go-live date for the provisioned environment (MM/YYYY or relative timeline)?

Set role-based permissions and org hierarchy

• How many distinct user roles should be defined at launch (e.g., HR admin, People Lead, Manager, Employee)? Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, 10+
• Do you need custom role definitions beyond default roles? Options: Yes, No
• Will you require team-based or location-based permissioning (e.g., restrict access to specific org units)? Options: Yes, No
• How should org hierarchy be modeled (single manager chain, matrix reporting, dotted-line managers)? Options: Single manager chain, Matrix/multiple managers, Dotted-line relationships, Other (describe)
• Do any roles need restricted visibility to compensation or sensitive employee fields? Options: Yes, No
• Do you want role-based dashboards or reports scoped to individual roles? Options: Yes, No

Integrate HRIS via SCIM/API and sync directory

• Which HRIS systems do you currently use or plan to integrate? Options: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, UKG/UltiPro, BambooHR, Oracle HCM, Other
• Preferred sync method for user provisioning and org data? Options: SCIM/API Live Sync, SFTP / Batch File, Manual Uploads, Not Sure
• What attributes must be synced from HRIS (e.g., manager, job title, department, location, employment type)?
• Do you require automated provisioning (create/deactivate accounts) from HRIS? Options: Yes, No
• What is the expected total number of active users to sync initially? Options: <500, 500-2,000, 2,000-10,000, 10,000+
• Are contractor/contingent workforce records handled differently in your HRIS? Options: Yes, No, Not Applicable

Map payroll and compensation fields to platform

• Which payroll/compensation systems will you map to the platform? Options: Workday Compensation, ADP, UKG Payroll, SAP/SuccessFactors, Other
• Which compensation fields must be mapped (select all that apply)? Options: Base salary, Target bonus, Actual bonus paid, Equity/grant, Grade/level, Currency
• Do you require support for multiple currencies or localized pay rules? Options: Yes, No
• Will compensation data be imported on a cadence or via on-demand API? Options: Scheduled (e.g., daily), On-demand/API, Manual upload
• Are there custom pay components or formulas that need mapping (e.g., allowances, country-specific fields)? Options: Yes, No
• Do you plan to use platform outputs for compensation planning or just for reporting? Options: Comp planning and adjustments, Reporting only, Undecided

Configure goal libraries and objective templates

• How many goal/objective templates do you want pre-configured (estimate)? Options: <10, 10-50, 50-200, 200+
• What goal frameworks do you use or prefer for templates? Options: OKRs, SMART, KPIs / Metrics, Task-based objectives, Other
• Should templates include weighting/scoring fields or be unweighted? Options: Weighted, Unweighted, Mixed by template
• Do you require role- or function-specific libraries (e.g., Sales, Engineering, Customer Success)? Options: Yes, No
• Will goal templates need approval workflows before being active for employees? Options: Yes, No
• Do you need assistance importing existing goal templates or migrating current goal metadata? Options: Yes, No

Enable goal alignment rollups from team to org

• Which org levels should support rollups (e.g., individual → team → department → company)? Options: Individual, Team, Department, Division, Company
• What rollup metrics do you need (e.g., % complete, weighted score, aggregated KPIs)? Options: % Complete, Weighted score, Average rating, Custom KPI aggregation
• How frequently should rollups recompute (real-time, daily, weekly)? Options: Real-time, Daily, Weekly, Monthly
• Do you want rollups to include cross-functional or shared goals? Options: Yes, No
• Are there specific rules for excluding certain goal types from org rollups?
• Do you require visual alignment maps or reporting for goal lineage? Options: Yes, No

Configure rating models and calibration parameters

• Which rating scale(s) do you plan to use? Options: 3-point, 5-point, 7-point, Custom
• Do you require forced distribution / bell-curve settings for calibrations? Options: Yes, No
• Will you separate competency ratings from performance ratings? Options: Yes, No
• Do you need custom rating labels and descriptions for each point on the scale? Options: Yes, No
• Should calibration parameters include population filters (e.g., role, location, grade)? Options: Yes, No
• Are multi-rater or peer ratings part of the model requiring weighting rules? Options: Yes, No

Activate calibration analytics and dashboards

• Which stakeholders need access to calibration dashboards (e.g., HRBP, People Ops, Executive)? Options: HRBP, People Ops, Compensation Team, Executives, Managers
• What analytics should be included (select all that apply)? Options: Rating distributions, Bias indicators (e.g., leniency), Trend over time, Comparative peer groups, Comp vs performance visual
• Do you need scheduled calibration reports delivered by email or exported via API? Options: Email reports, API export, On-demand only
• Do dashboards need to support drilled filters (e.g., by department, manager, grade)? Options: Yes, No
• Are there compliance or audit views required for calibration sessions? Options: Yes, No
• Do you need integration of compensation impact modeling within calibration analytics? Options: Yes, No

Enable automated performance-summary generation

• Which audiences should receive generated performance summaries (manager, employee, calibration panel, compensation team)? Options: Manager, Employee, Calibration Panel, Comp/Payroll
• What elements must be included in the summary (ratings, key feedback excerpts, goals status, development items)? Options: Ratings, Feedback excerpts, Goal statuses, Development recommendations, Calibration notes
• What delivery formats are required for summaries (PDF, CSV, in-app view, API)? Options: PDF, CSV, In-app, API
• When should summaries generate (on-demand, end-of-cycle, after calibration)? Options: On-demand, End-of-cycle, After calibration, Other
• Do summaries require redaction or filtering of sensitive fields for certain audiences? Options: Yes, No
• Do you want auto-generated talking points or manager guidance included in summaries? Options: Yes, No

Migrate historical performance and goal data

• Which years or cycles of historical data do you want migrated? Options: None / No historical data, Last 1 year, Last 2-3 years, All available history
• What data types should be migrated (goals, ratings, comments, calibration notes, attachments)? Options: Goals, Ratings, Comments, Calibration notes, Attachments
• What format is your historical data currently in (HRIS export, spreadsheets, legacy system)? Options: Spreadsheets, Legacy performance system export, HRIS export, Other
• Do you require field-level mapping or transformation during migration? Options: Yes, No
• Is data cleanup or deduplication required before import? Options: Yes, No
• What is the acceptable validation and acceptance process for migrated data?

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Order Form & Commercial Terms
• Pilot Agreement / Pilot Charter
• Implementation Plan & Timeline
• Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)
• Success Metrics & Acceptance Criteria
• Data & Integration Scope
• Data Processing Agreement (DPA) & Security Addendum
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) & Support
• Training & Manager Enablement Plan
• Change Order & Scope Amendment Process
• Payment Schedule & Invoicing Milestones
• Termination, Renewal & Extension Terms

• Success Metrics Diagnosis
• Adoption Validation Workshop (Evidence-Based)
• Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement Session
• Shared Channel Governance & Escalation Playbook
• Executive Success Review & Go‑Forward Decision

• Provision the shared channel (e.g., Slack/Teams) and invite stakeholders with documented permissions.
• Produce a clear pass/fail status per success signal and a retest timeline.
• Document pass/fail status for each success signal and circulate to stakeholders.
• Owners to execute agreed remediations (config, training, integrations) with deliverable dates.
• Run and share a retest report on the agreed date to confirm remediation effectiveness.
• Recap Validation Outcomes
• Capture the top learnings that explain why manager behavior did or did not change.
• Create a prioritized backlog of remediation and enhancement items with owners and timelines.
• Define an enablement plan and communications to sustain behavior change.
• Create enhancement tickets or enablement tasks in the agreed tracking tool with priorities and owners.
• Schedule targeted manager enablement sessions focused on observed capability gaps.
• Publish a short 'what changed' playbook and distribute to HRBPs and people managers.
• Channel Purpose & Scope
• Create a clear, repeatable triage and escalation workflow for the shared channel.
• Assign owners and SLAs so issues and enhancement requests are addressed predictably.
• Agree a prioritization process for enhancements tied to validated business impact.
• Opening & Objectives
• Publish the triage workflow and SLA document to the channel and internal docs.
• Set the date for the first prioritization/triage meeting and include the scoring template.
• One‑sentence Current vs Future State
• Brief executives with concise evidence linking validated outcomes to measurable business value.
• Obtain explicit executive decision and signoff on the recommended go‑forward option.
• Agree communication and rollout next steps tied to the decision.
• Circulate the executive signoff document and record formal approval or required conditions.
• If approved, kick off the production rollout schedule with confirmed owners and milestones.
• If adjustments required, document required remediation actions and schedule follow-up validation dates.
• Create a single clear sentence describing the current state and who is impacted.
• Surface and quantify the business consequences of current gaps.
• Agree on the exact success signals and data definitions we will use to validate adoption and manager behavior.
• Assign owners for any missing or unclear data and schedule follow-up validation.
• Owner(s) to deliver any missing or normalized baseline reports within 5 business days.
• Update the success-signal definitions document to reflect agreed metrics and thresholds.
• Schedule the Adoption Validation Workshop with stakeholder invite list and pre-work attached.
• Reconfirm Validation Criteria
• Use live evidence to validate which success signals are met and which are not.
• Obtain explicit stakeholder confirmation that validated outcomes map to the business problem and consequence reduction.
• Agree on remediation actions, retest criteria, and owners for any failed signals.
• One‑sentence Current State
• Root Cause Analysis (Structured)
• Live Dashboard Walkthrough
• Validation Summary (metrics + cases)
• Roles & Responsibilities
• Manager Case Reviews (Diagnosis → Proof → Validation)
• Brainstorm Fixes: Process, Enablement, Product
• Consequence Framing
• Triage Workflow & SLAs
• Business Impact & ROI
• Prioritization & Roadmap
• Calibration-Readiness Evidence
• Baseline Metrics Review
• Enhancement Intake & Prioritization Criteria
• Risks, Mitigations & Requests
• Decision & Signoff
• Manager Behavior Signals Review
• Knowledge Transfer & Communication
• Reporting & Escalation Paths
• Discrepancy Reconciliation
• Gap Mapping & Signal Clarification
• Onboarding & Access Controls
• Decision & Next Steps