Performance: a word that deserves to restore dignity
Oct 15, 2025
Performance has recently become one of the most misunderstood concepts in business. In many companies, we associate it with excessive demands, endless Excel spreadsheets, or managerial pressure regardless of the individual. It is no wonder that for many people, "performance" is a toxic word.
However, performance is not about how many hours one can endure. It is about the value an organization can generate over the long term – for clients, the team, and for itself. If we degrade performance to mere output or heroic overtime, we lose its true meaning: to be the engine of growth.
Myths about performance that hold us back:
Performance = more hours.
Gallup data shows that employees who feel exhausted are 63% more likely to take sick days and have significantly lower productivity.Performance = pressure from above.
Pressure generates a short-term spike but destroys motivation in the long run. True performance is based on people's own initiative, not on a whip.Performance = individual heroism.
In fact, it is quite the opposite: teams with a high level of collaboration and trust outperform individual "stars" in long-term results.
If we set the bar low, we stagnate. If we set it incorrectly, we exhaust people and jeopardize the company.
It is time to redefine performance
Performance is not a dirty word. On the contrary: it is the energy that moves the company forward. A healthy approach to performance means:
High standards = not a pursuit of perfection, but an emphasis on quality.
Excellence as the norm = the ability to deliver work we can be proud of.
The drive to create and build = motivation that goes beyond ordinary KPIs.
A magnet for talent = people want to work where they can progress, grow, and are surrounded by high standards. A performance culture attracts those who want to achieve something – and repels passivity.
Work should not be rest or an endless balance. It should be a place where people progress, grow, and achieve results together.
The evolution of performance perception favors Generation Z and pushes organizations to adapt
If we want to talk about the future of performance, we must also look at how Generation Z understands it – that is, people born after 1995, who already make up more than a quarter of the workforce and will dominate the job market by 2030. I generally perceive two camps that express opinions on the topic of Generation Z. The critical camp sees them as a fragile, lazy generation, dependent on technology and unable to endure pressure. The narrative often appears, "they don’t want to work like we did." And then there is the defending camp, which argues that this group is not weaker, but more pragmatic – rejecting senseless sacrifices, wanting meaning, balance, and fairness. Both “labels” are oversimplified, and the reality is more complex. I would point out their approach from another perspective.
The "paradox of performance" of Generation Z
Generation Z shows that performance must not be about senseless pressure nor comfortable boredom. Both extremes are toxic to them; burnout and "bore-out" destroy motivation just as quickly. They understand performance as a balance between challenge and meaning: they want to be pushed for better results, but only if it matters and simultaneously pushes them forward.
How can organizations respond?
Reject the culture of victimhood, appreciate results. Provide young people with challenges, minimize routine. Create conditions where they can feel personal progress, or they will leave. Give them the opportunity to influence direction, to change things, not just to "keep the system running."
For Gen Z, performance is not about enduring the most hours, but pushing boundaries where it makes sense. The strength of this narrative grows beyond Gen Z, and organizations and people in managerial positions will have to change their approaches and mental models that have worked for years.
How to build a culture where performance is not a path to burnout but to growth?
1. Name the purpose of performance – not just the goals
High performance does not come from KPI tables, but from the feeling that our work has an impact and added value. If people only see numbers, they lose the desire to strive. If the connection between the result and the value is lost, performance is reduced to soulless pressure. Meaning acts as fuel – when you know "why," you can accomplish more than you expected.
Instead of saying "we want to increase market share by 5%", say "we will enable 10,000 families to acquire their own housing." Suddenly, the number has a "face" because language shapes reality.
2. Make responsibility a norm, not a threat
In an unhealthy culture, responsibility is a boogeyman – in a high-performance culture, it is a natural commitment. Fear leads to defense, trust leads to initiative. Responsibility is a commitment to oneself and the team, not a mechanism of control or intimidation. Where fear reigns, people protect themselves – and performance decreases.
3. Talk about sustainable performance loudly and regularly
Sustainable performance will only become the norm if it is systematically discussed. If the topic is not part of the leadership agenda, it becomes taboo. Performance is often mentioned only when things go wrong. However, this creates the impression that "performance = problem". If we only discuss it during a crisis, it becomes toxic. What is not talked about becomes taboo.
4. Distinguish between high performance and workaholism
High performance is about value and quality – workaholism is about quantity and sacrifice. Not all performance is the same. Someone can achieve a brilliant result in 6 hours while another sits for 12 hours without added value. If we only appreciate the "most exhausted", we cultivate a culture of exhaustion. Performance is not the number of hours, but the quality of the result.
5. Appreciate success, but even more improvements
Performance is not just about achieving a goal, but about the ability to learn and progress. Companies that celebrate only "big victories" overlook the fuel for long-term growth. A culture oriented solely on "big wins" leads to people playing it safe. A culture that celebrates small improvements promotes learning and the courage to take risks.
Performance is not a state, but movement. Either you are improving, or you are stagnating.
6. Sometimes slow down to speed up
Constant pressure for action leads organizations to go in circles. A pause and reflection allow for raising the quality of performance to a higher level. In a world where "busy" = "successful", taking a break is suspicious. Yet, it is precisely stopping and reflecting that distinguishes top teams from average ones. Without slowing down, performance becomes an endless run in circles, where anger and frustration grow.
Building a performance culture means changing how we understand performance: from individual heroism to accountability to the group, from victimhood to active value creation, from exhaustion to growth. Organizations that manage to do this not only achieve better results and lower turnover but also attract talents that drive the company further.