Most performance reviews are where dreams go to die. We walk in with spreadsheets and walk out with discouraged souls. But as leaders, we carry a different mandate: we aren’t just there to audit the past; we are there to prophesy the future.
For many employees, the Annual Performance Review is a date on the calendar met with dread. It is often reduced to a cold, “check-the-box” exercise, a post-mortem of mistakes and data points. The result? People leave feeling measured, not motivated.
But what if we shifted our perspective? In the Kingdom, we don’t just look back; we look forward. Leadership is not about tallying failures; it’s about unlocking potential. It’s time to move away from standard evaluations and toward Prophetic Encouragement.
Prophetic Encouragement transforms the review from a backward glance into a forward vision. Instead of asking, “Where did you fall short?” we begin asking, “Where is God calling you higher?” Instead of merely documenting gaps, we declare growth. Instead of discouraging souls, we ignite destiny.
When leaders embrace this posture, performance reviews become more than management rituals; they become Kingdom moments. They shift from being a graveyard of dreams to a greenhouse of possibilities.
The Heart of the "Barnabas" Leader
To change the outcome of a review, we must first change the atmosphere. A traditional review is often defined by a defensive, tense environment where the focus is stuck on past failures and “gaps,” while the manager does 90% of the talking. The result? Nothing more than temporary compliance.
In contrast, Redemptive Commissioning creates an open and inspired space. The focus shifts to future potential and hidden “gold,” turning the meeting into a 50/50 dialogue. When you transition from judge to vision-caster, you cultivate long-term loyalty and ignite a team that is truly on fire for the mission.
In my years of HR experience, I’ve observed that most employees walk into review meetings defensively, bracing for critique. But a leader is called to be a Barnabas, a Son of Encouragement. Instead of acting as a judge, you must become a Vision-Caster who sees not only who the employee was last year, but who they are becoming.
Barnabas's leadership is about speaking identity, affirming value, and commissioning destiny. It transforms reviews from a courtroom into a commissioning service, where employees leave not with fear but with faith, not with discouragement but with direction.
Here are three transformative steps to redeem your performance reviews:
1. Calling Out the "Gold."
Every professional carries a Bezalel gift, a Spirit-filled skill designed for excellence in their craft. This gift is not just talent; it is divine craftsmanship meant to reflect God’s glory in the marketplace. Whether it’s data entry, graphic design, or strategic planning, your team’s skills are an expression of God’s craftsmanship; acknowledging them validates the worker as much as the work.
- The Marketplace Reality: Use the first 15 minutes of your review to highlight where the employee has reflected God’s excellence. Begin by naming the strengths you’ve seen in action, moments where their work bore the mark of diligence, creativity, or integrity. This sets the tone for honor rather than critique.
- The Prophetic Edge: At its core, prophecy is “strengthening, encouragement, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). When you tell a clerk, “I see a spirit of leadership in how you handle difficult clients,” you aren’t just giving a grade; you are speaking life into their destiny. You are calling out the gold hidden beneath the surface, affirming identity, and commissioning future growth.
2. "Corrective Love" vs. "Critical Judgment."
Redemptive discipline does not mean ignoring performance gaps. If an employee is failing, you must tell them. But the delivery determines the outcome.
- The Shift: There is a massive difference between saying, “You are bad at this,” and saying, “I see a higher standard in you that you haven’t reached yet.” One tears down identity; the other calls someone upward.
- The Goal: You are pulling them up to their potential rather than pushing them down for their mistakes. Corrective love frames feedback as an invitation to grow, not a verdict of failure. It communicates, “I believe in who you are becoming,” rather than, “You’ll never measure up.”
3. The Two-Way Street (The Listening Ear)
A performance review should be 50% listening. When you truly hear the heart of your team, you often uncover hidden talents; gifts that could solve your organization’s greatest challenges. Listening is not passive; it is prophetic discernment.
- The Marketplace Reality: Too many reviews are one-sided monologues where managers dominate the conversation. This approach misses the opportunity to discover what employees carry within them.
- The Prophetic Edge: By opening space for dialogue, you invite employees to share not only their struggles but also their aspirations. Often, what they reveal is the “gold” you didn’t know existed.
Try asking these two key questions:
- "What is God speaking to you about your growth here?"
- "What do you need from me to reach the next level?"
These questions shift the review from a performance audit to a Kingdom conversation. They communicate that you value not just the employee’s output, but their journey, their calling, and their partnership in the mission.
When leaders cultivate a listening ear, reviews become a two-way street, where encouragement flows both ways, and hidden potential is brought into the light.
Models of Encouragement
To lead this way is to join a lineage of world-changers who saw potential where others saw problems.
Biblical Examples
- Barnabas & John Mark: When John Mark abandoned the mission in Pamphylia, Paul saw a failure and wanted to leave him behind. Barnabas, however, chose to call out the “gold.” He invested redemptively, mentoring Mark until he became the author of a Gospel and, later, “useful” to Paul’s ministry once again (2 Timothy 4:11).
- Jesus & Peter: At the ultimate “performance review” on the beach in John 21, Jesus didn’t audit Peter’s denial. Instead, He asked about Peter’s love and then commissioned him: “Feed my sheep.” Jesus replaced failure with the future, transforming shame into stewardship.
Real-World Examples
- Garry Ridge (Former CEO, WD-40 Company): Ridge famously replaced “performance reviews” with “performance manicures.” He cultivated a culture of learning moments where mistakes weren’t punishments but opportunities for growth. He saw himself not as a boss, but as a coach fighting for his team’s “A” grade.
- Indra Nooyi (Former CEO, PepsiCo): Nooyi practiced a unique form of calling out the gold by writing personal letters to the parents of her senior executives. By affirming the person behind the title, she fostered deep loyalty and human connection, reminding her leaders that their excellence was a gift to the world.
The Final Word
Friends, your team doesn’t just need a paycheck; they need a Vision-Caster. They need a leader who sees who they can be, not merely who they were last year.
My challenge for you today: Prepare differently for your next 1-on-1 meeting. Don’t just glance at the KPIs. Instead, ask God for a word of encouragement for that staff member. Let your review become a commissioning moment.
When you shift from measuring performance to igniting destiny, you’ll witness something remarkable: productivity will no longer be driven by fear of failure, but by faith in their future. People flourish when they know their leader is fighting for their success.
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Exploring life, one thought at a time.
Rumishael C. Ulomi, Founder & Lead Contributor,
Ready to transform your leadership?
Download our Kingdom Leadership Framework and listen to the full podcast series at www.sikiosikivu.com.
