Sustainable performance in an AI world

The Performance Leader Client Symposium on June 11, 2025, brought together over 75 professionals from platform administrators to performance and feedback champions across the globe for a digital-first event centred on the theme "Sustainable high performance in an AI world." The energy in the (virtual) room was electric as we explored how feedback, performance and technology are evolving together.  

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Keynote speaker: Eleanor Winton

Eleanor Winton, futurist and co-author of "The Disruption Game Plan," delivered a thought-provoking keynote that explored how AI is reshaping feedback, performance, and HR's role in professional services. Leveraging her experience (specifically establishing KPMG's Future Institute and consulting to professional services firms), Eleanor provided valuable insights on finding opportunity in uncertainty while maintaining the human elements essential to firm success.

A key takeaway from her presentation was that "the firms that thrive in the age of AI will be those who blend cutting-edge technology with irreplaceable human qualities: trust, creativity, and strategic purpose."

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Client insights sessions

The Client Insights sessions showcased real-world stories from Performance Leader clients. In these four sessions, attendees discovered innovative approaches to aligning partner contributions with firm strategy, creating meaningful check-in conversations, developing partner potential through a strengths-based approach, and energising feedback culture. Presentations were followed by a short discussion among attendees, facilitated by the speaker and/or the Performance Leader team.

• Aligning partner contribution to strategy: Nicola Atkinson from Minter Ellison shared how the firm is aligning 270 diverse and autonomous partners with the firm’s strategy using Performance Leader's Plans module. Their approach balances top-down strategic clarity with bottom-up autonomy.
• Check-ins that count: Trowers & Hamlins demonstrated their approach to creating meaningful conversations through regular check-ins.
• Maximising partner potential: Adam Irwin, Managing Partner at Pitcher Partners, explained their strength-based approach to partner development and performance management, and why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
• Feedback Fridays: Brunswick Group shared how they energised their feedback culture with a simple yet powerful initiative: Feedback Fridays.

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Product evolution: AI-Enhanced Performance Management

The symposium provided a first look at Performance Leader's latest product innovations with a particular focus on AI innovation. In our upcoming version6 release, we’ve redesigned and reimagined key features to make performance and feedback tasks easier, faster, and more impactful —so our users can focus on what matters most: building strong feedback cultures and driving high performance.

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Highlights include:

• AI coaching and analytics tools to improve objective quality and relevance
• Manager dashboard enhanced with AI summaries, sentiment analysis and other insights tools
• Admin tools to extract insights and sentiment from qualitative data
• A new check-ins module and redesigned plans workspace
• Private notes functionality
• Easier data imports with improved validation

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At its core, version 6 focuses on productivity and user experience, with significant enhancements designed to make common tasks more efficient and enjoyable. The platform supports firms in building vibrant feedback cultures that unleash creative, collaborative and entrepreneurial strengths—directly aligning with Performance Leader's mission.

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As professional services firms adapt to the evolving landscape of AI and performance management, the symposium provided both inspiration and practical strategies to help build sustainable high-performance cultures where technology enhances rather than replaces the human element.  We are inspired by the power of our global client community to come together, share openly and solve challenges. Thank you to all who attended!