14 - AI Meets the Manager Crisis

15 - Performance happens in between Reviews

Jennifer Turner, Senior Director of People Operations at G2, joins Gavin to unpack what performance actually looks like inside a high-performing culture. Her perspective stands out because she treats performance less like an HR event and more like a daily operating rhythm grounded in clarity, feedback, and trust. In this episode, Jen shares why managers need to think like coaches, why “feedback is a gift” only works when it’s specific and timely, and how strong expectations help eliminate surprises. They also explore the role automation can play - not to replace judgment, but to make performance conversations easier and more consistent. It’s a practical conversation for HR leaders looking to build performance systems that feel lighter for managers, clearer for employees, and more connected to how work actually gets done. --- This episode was brought to you by Topicflow [https://www.notion.so/Topicflow-Foundations-2ac498d0cc4e80e188d5cea533705187?pvs=21] — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. --- Connect with the hosts and guest:⁠Gavin Johnston⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-johnston/] | ⁠Amin Palizban⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminpali/] | ⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyrie-burgoine-8941a172/]Jennifer Turner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcpherrinturner?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

14 - AI Meets the Manager Crisis

Many of you know the famous Stephen Huerta. If you don’t, he is the co-host of Modern People Leader and a 25-year HR operator whose career spans consulting, corporate HR, HR tech, and media. He brings a sharp point of view on what managers are really carrying right now. In this episode, Stephen breaks down how HR’s push for scale quietly dumped performance work, survey follow-up, and talent development onto managers - then AI showed up and raised the stakes again. The conversation gets into manager overload, change management, trust, and why performance reviews are still here even if nobody loves them. Amin and Gavin push on what better looks like: less admin, better feedback, and performance inputs captured in the flow of work so talent decisions can get faster, cleaner, and more fair. --- This episode was brought to you by Topicflow [https://www.notion.so/14-Stephen-Huerta-Modern-People-Leader-March-11-2026-2f5498d0cc4e80e7a44cd3b226fb469e?pvs=21] - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. --- Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn: Gavin Johnston [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-johnston/] | Amin Palizban [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminpali/] | Stephen Huerta [linkedin.com/in/stephenhuerta/]

13 - Structure doesn’t kill culture - bad structure does

Ryan-Mae McAvoy, VP of People Ops at Blackthorn, joins Gavin Johnston to share how she thinks about performance when a company is scaling fast, staying remote, and trying to keep trust intact. We get into what managers actually need when “vibes” stop working - why Blackthorn treats bi-weekly 1:1s as non-negotiable, how to add guardrails without creating red tape, and why clarity beats ratings when you want fairness and real accountability. In the Flow of Work exists to help HR leaders build performance systems that managers can run and cultures people want to stay in. This episode was brought to you by Topicflow — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. --- This episode was brought to you by Topicflow [https://www.notion.so/Topicflow-Foundations-2ac498d0cc4e80e188d5cea533705187?pvs=21] — the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. --- Connect with the hosts and guest on LinkedIn: Gavin Johnston [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-johnston/] | Amin Palizban [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminpali/] | Ryan-Mae McAvoy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rm80920/]

12 - The Simple System That Makes Managers Consistent

Natania Mathany, VP of People at A Thinking Ape, shares how they build great managers in a remote team without drowning everyone in process. We talk about the leadership gap that shows up when strong ICs get promoted, and how ATA built a clear manager baseline that still leaves room for personal style. Natania breaks down their non-negotiable bi-weekly 1:1s, how they shipped manager training in modules (before it was perfect), and the feedback loops they use to keep improving it through surveys, skip levels, and manager roundtables. --- In the Flow of Work exists to help HR leaders build better performance systems and stronger cultures. This episode was brought to you by Topicflow [topicflow.com]— the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. ---Connect with the hosts and guest: Gavin Johnston [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-johnston/] | Amin Palizban [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminpali/] | Natania Mathany [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataniamathany/]

11 - How Ravelin runs performance without ratings

Kyrie Burgoine is the Director of People Ops at Ravelin, and she’s spent the last few years building performance practices that fit how their teams actually work - especially in a company with high tenure and a lot of trust. In this episode, Kyrie walks through how Ravelin handles performance without formal ratings or rigid frameworks. We get into what it looks like when each department runs things a little differently, how she helps first-time managers get comfortable giving tougher feedback, and why underperformance can stick around longer than anyone wants in a “too nice” culture. We also touch on how AI is starting to show up in learning and growth. --- This episode was brought to you by Topicflow [topicflow.com] - the team building the next generation of agentic performance management. Connect with the hosts and guest: Gavin Johnston [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-johnston/] | Amin Palizban [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminpali/] | Kyrie Burgoine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyrie-burgoine-8941a172/]