Performance Care Accelerator Recap: Balancing Employee Support with High Performance
Highlights from our exclusive webinar celebrating the launch of the new Performance Care Accelerator, designed to help senior leaders drive higher levels of performance alongside employee care.
Senior leaders recently joined us for an exclusive virtual webinar hosted by Groov’s CEO Matt Krogstad; Chief Science Officer, Laura Hamill, PhD; and co-founder Sir John Kirwan (JK). Our expert panel introduced Groov’s new Performance Care framework, explaining how it enables employees to achieve their best work in a sustainable way.
Watch the full replay or read our highlights below!
Setting the scene
The webinar opened with JK sharing his personal journey with mental health and his passion for redefining what it means to support people at work. As he described, “Performance Care is like wellbeing grown up,” underscoring the importance of integrating genuine care into performance conversations. He illustrated this with a rugby analogy, explaining how he believes New Zealand’s national team—the All Blacks—achieved unprecedented success by employing a mental skills coach and adopting a more holistic, human-centered approach to player development.
Laura Hamill then introduced Performance Care as a polarity concept. “You can’t just have one or the other—like inhaling and exhaling, performance and care must work together.” She detailed how focusing solely on performance or care can lead to burnout or complacency, but balancing the two creates a work environment where employees are both engaged and fulfilled.
The science behind Performance Care
Laura presented slides demonstrating how engagement and perceived organizational support directly impact performance. She shared, “When employees feel valued and supported, their performance naturally rises.”
Laura shared several rich examples of the science behind Performance Care, including:
The employee engagement and performance connection. Research consistently shows that engagement drives higher performance. Engaged employees—those who feel connected to their work and valued by their organization—tend to be more productive, innovative, and dedicated.
The power of perceived organizational support (POS). Perceived organizational support is the belief that one’s organization values them as a person, not just an employee. POS has been shown to increase employees’ job satisfaction and commitment, reduce stress, and enhance overall performance. When employees believe their organization genuinely cares for them, they are more likely to reciprocate with higher commitment and productivity. As Laura explained, “When you add that layer of care, performance increases.”
Mutual commitment and reciprocity. POS also builds a cycle of mutual commitment between employees and their organization. Employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles. This reciprocal relationship is foundational in Performance Care, as it drives motivation and reduces burnout risk. Laura noted, “If I hear from you that you’re committed to me, I’m much more likely to be committed back to you.”
The Yerkes-Dodson Law and optimal stress. The Yerkes-Dodson Law, a well-established theory in psychology, suggests that there is an optimal level of stress that enhances performance—neither too little nor too much. Moderate stress can act as a motivator, keeping employees focused and engaged. However, prolonged stress levels push people into distress. Performance Care seeks to find this “sweet spot” of stress, maintaining pressure just enough to drive high performance without overwhelming employees.
Putting Performance Care into practice
Laura and JK wrapped up the session by discussing actionable strategies to implement Performance Care in the workplace. They emphasized combining performance and care into a unified conversation. “It’s one conversation, not two,” JK advised, encouraging leaders to ask employees, “What do I need to do to care for you so you can perform?”
Groov CEO Matt Krogstad then highlighted how Groov’s Workplace Science Platform actively supports leaders in making Performance Care a daily practice. He acknowledged that many managers are already stretched thin and may struggle to maintain this balance consistently.
“Groov does the heavy lifting,” Matt explained. “Our platform gathers real-time data and provides actionable insights directly in managers’ flow of work, so they can support their teams without added pressure.”
These data-driven prompts help managers quickly spot patterns and take timely actions, ensuring employees feel both supported and challenged.
The panel concluded that by applying the Performance Care framework and leveraging tools like Groov, organizations can cultivate a culture where employees feel cared for and empowered to perform at their best. Laura summarized, “When leaders actively model Performance Care, supported by insights from Groov, they create an environment where engagement, trust, and productivity naturally thrive.”
Bring Performance Care to life with Groov
Ready to take the next step in building a culture that balances performance and care? There are several ways Groov can support you.
Workplace Science Platform. Our platform’s real-time insights and actionable prompts equip managers to support their teams effectively. Explore the platform.
Performance Care Whitepaper. Authored by Laura Hamill, this whitepaper provides a comprehensive introduction to the Performance Care Framework, along with more actionable insights for implementing it in any organization. Download the whitepaper.
Groov Together services. We also offer tailored coaching, consulting, workshops, and keynotes to help you adopt Performance Care practices and bring your people along the journey. Explore services.
Join us live: Experience Performance Care in action
Don’t miss our upcoming Performance Care Live Event in Auckland! This exclusive, in-person workshop combines hands-on learning with powerful insights from Groov’s experts. Spend time on the rugby pitch with JK as he brings Performance Care to life, followed by a deep dive into the science with Dr Fiona Crichton. Spaces are limited and tickets are selling fast!