Supporting people leads to better results - it’s science
There’s a common fear that too much care in the workplace will lead to complacency - that if people feel too comfortable, they won’t push themselves to perform. There’s also the belief that focusing on performance means dialing down care, toughening up, and prioritising results over people.
But the reality is much more nuanced. Care and performance aren’t opposing forces, they work best together.
When people feel psychologically safe, valued, and supported, they’re more open to feedback, more engaged in their work, and more willing to strive for excellence. Once care and trust are high, performance levers like goal setting, accountability, and stretch targets become far more effective.
A strong performance culture doesn’t mean unlimited empathy with no expectations. It means balancing care with clear direction and accountability. The best workplaces get this right by setting clear expectations (people thrive when they know what success looks like), providing the right tools and support, encouraging open communication, recognising effort and progress, and balancing challenge with psychological safety.
Too much pressure without care leads to stress and burnout. Too much care without expectations leads to stagnation. The key is starting with care - building trust, understanding, and support - and then dialling up performance expectations as you go.
When care is in place, people are more receptive to challenges and feedback, and performance naturally improves over time. By creating a solid foundation of care, you make it easier to push for higher performance, while still keeping people engaged and motivated.