Keeping Performance Human
- Georgia Hodkinson GMBPsS
- Nov 10, 2025
- 4 min read
Performance is dynamic. It's always shifting, shaped by the moment, by the people, and by the context.
In every industry I’ve worked in, from fast-paced tech firms to healthcare systems and Education to Utility firms, the organisations that truly thrive see performance as potential, as something that breathes.
Performance is energised by communication and trust just as much as it's driven by goals and key metrics. It's influenced by how people think, how they bounce back, how they connect with others and whether their surroundings lift them up or wear them down.
A Different Lens on Performance
Whenever I begin a project, I tend to ask a simple question: "What does performance look like around here?" and the answers usually start with metrics: productivity, engagement, results. This is when I scratch beneath the surface and you find stories. Things like:
Whether people trust each other
How freely information flows
How much energy people have left in the tank by Friday
Looking through the lens of human factors, you begin to notice the deeper layers:
Cognitive Load — How decision-making gets affected by complexity, distractions, or just too many tabs open in your mind.
Motivation — What fuels people to keep going when the pressure ramps up.
Fatigue — How rest (or the lack of it) impacts focus and emotional balance.
Social Connection — The role of trust and belonging in making teamwork actually work.
System Design — How the structure of work either supports people or steadily drains them.
Performance is a whole system, designed with care and precision, encompassing a multitude of interconnected components that work harmoniously to achieve optimal outcomes. Each component, whether it be human resources, technology, processes, or organisational culture, plays a vital role in the overall effectiveness of the system.
To truly appreciate the complexity of performance as a system, we must consider the various factors that influence it. For instance, in a business context, performance can be affected by employee engagement, leadership styles, and the availability of resources.
Designing a performance system requires a deep understanding of these components and their interdependencies. It involves careful planning and strategic thinking to ensure that all elements align with the overarching goals and objectives of the organisation. This might include implementing training programs to enhance employee skills, investing in cutting-edge technology to streamline operations, or fostering a positive workplace culture that encourages collaboration and innovation.
Furthermore, continuous evaluation and improvement are essential to maintaining a high-performing system. This involves regularly assessing performance metrics, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and making necessary adjustments to adapt to changing circumstances.
Listening Before Acting
In consultancy, I always start by listening.
Sometimes that means sitting down with leaders who feel like they're constantly firefighting. Other times, it's chatting with frontline staff navigating long shifts and low energy. Either way, the goal is the same: to understand what's really happening beneath the performance numbers.
From there, I help co-create grounded, research-informed interventions that translate insight into practical action.
That might include:
Building fatigue management plans that help teams track and restore their energy
Designing workshops around adaptability, resilience, and psychological safety
Creating better ways for teams to communicate so that info turns into shared understanding
Developing performance systems that centre reflection and growth
One recent collaboration I loved was with Timothy Pattenden, the founder of Pattenden Peak Performance.
Tim works with leaders and athletes on performing under pressure, and he had an idea: build a program that captures the mindset behind that performance. The real shifts that help people stay focused and adaptable when things get tough.
Together, we created ThinkClick, a 40-slide, hands-on training packed with psychological tools, real-life reflection, and applicable strategies.
Tim brought in his deep experience from the field; I brought the psychology and design thinking. The result was something that helps people move from knowing to actually doing.
This is applied psychology! taking ideas off the page and into people’s lives. Clients say “I didn’t realise how much pressure I was putting on myself until I saw it written down. The shift didn’t just change how I think—it changed how I perform.”
Psychology & Business Incubation
Another exciting direction in my work has been supporting early-stage founders through the Psychology Business Incubator. These are entrepreneurs building ventures and working with these founders is a unique challenge, they're navigating ambiguity, constant change, and the emotional highs and lows of early business life. Through tailored coaching and psychological insight, we help them build resilient companies in sustainable ways.
This intersection of psychology and entrepreneurship is powerful. It reminds us that business, at its core, is human and that we are not alone. When founders are equipped to think clearly, regulate their energy, and lead with intention, their ventures are far more likely to thrive.
Performance is a Partnership
Real performance to me is a partnership. It’s about sitting down with people and exploring what’s helping, what’s hindering, and what small shifts could open up space for something better. It involves reframing feedback sessions into conversations, turning traditional reviews into opportunities for shared insight and using bite-sized training moments to build habits over time.
When organisations see performance as something to nurture, everything changes. People feel seen for who they are. When trust and support flow freely, performance tends to follow.
Sustainable performance is about adaptability, shifting gears, managing energy, and reflecting effectively and this has to be cultivated with training, with coaching, and with systems designed to support the ebb and flow of real life.
Final Reflections
Performance is about doing what matters, in ways that keep people energised, focused, and connected and when human factors are built into the way we shape work, we build workplaces that are both high-performing and humane.
Lets build places where people can think clearly, act meaningfully, and keep showing up, day after day, because when people are well, they perform well and when we truly understand that, we stop chasing performance and start creating it.
Want to explore how human-centred design can support performance in your workplace?
Let's chat. I'm on LinkedIn
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