🚩 Tactical Memo 002: Performance Systems That Don’t Burn People Out

The best teams aren’t working harder. They’re working on less, with precision.

Author

Justin Bateh
July 20, 2025

Welcome back to Tactical Memo.
Today, we’re tearing down one of the most toxic leadership lies:

"High performance means high pressure."

Wrong. That’s how you burn out your team, lose trust, and get average work under the illusion of productivity.

If you want consistent performance without chaos, you need to install a system that removes friction instead of adding pressure.

Let’s rebuild performance from the ground up.

THE SITUATION

Most managers approach performance like a motivation problem.

  • “They need to push harder”

  • “We need to light a fire under them”

  • “This is crunch time. Everyone has to step up”

That mindset leads to overcommitment, wasted energy, and constant firefighting.

Here’s what no one tells you.

Eighty percent of performance issues are system issues in disguise.

  • Conflicting goals

  • Undefined success criteria

  • Endless back-and-forth due to unclear handoffs

  • Rewarding speed over effectiveness

  • Zero space for recovery or reflection

When your system’s broken, effort doesn’t fix it. It just drains people faster.

Here’s how to build a performance system that produces results without breaking your team.

These aren’t tips. They’re operating rules.

THE STRATEGY

1. Cut the number of priorities by 70 percent

If everyone owns everything, no one owns anything.

Limit each person to three major deliverables at a time. Not ten. Not five. Three.

This forces trade-offs. It builds clarity. It delivers momentum.

Review your current task list. Ask:

  • Which items drive actual outcomes?

  • Which ones are busywork masked as productivity?

  • Which can be paused, delegated, or killed entirely?

Kill what's not essential. Watch performance surge.

2. Define “done” before work starts

Most burnout doesn’t come from the workload. It comes from rework.

Why? Because “done” was never clear.

Before assigning a task or project, answer these with your team:

  • What does success look like in concrete terms?

  • Who approves it and by when?

  • What would make this a waste of time?

Put the answers in writing. Clarity up front prevents confusion later.

3. Build a feedback loop into the process

High performance is not the result of intensity. It's the result of iteration.

Instead of saving feedback for after delivery, bake it into the middle.

For any key deliverable, schedule one checkpoint:

  • 50 percent done? Review for direction.

  • 80 percent done? Review for polish.

This reduces risk, speeds up improvement, and lowers anxiety.

One 15-minute mid-process check-in can save hours of cleanup.

4. Protect one no-meeting day per week

Recovery is a performance strategy. Tension without release is a recipe for collapse.

Choose one day a week where no meetings are allowed. Make it sacred.

This gives your team:

  • Time for deep work

  • Space to regroup

  • Permission to think again

The best teams don’t sprint forever. They rest with intention.

5. Measure the system, not just the people

If someone keeps missing deadlines, don’t just ask what’s wrong with them. Ask what’s wrong with the setup.

Look for patterns:

  • Are you underestimating scope?

  • Are dependencies unclear?

  • Are you assigning reactive work without bandwidth?

Every miss is a signal. Investigate the system first, not the individual.

THE IMPACT

Teams that run on clean systems:

  • Hit goals without working nights

  • Catch mistakes earlier

  • Deliver work they’re proud of

  • Stay longer because they’re not exhausted

  • Build a culture of clarity and trust

You don’t need more urgency. You need less noise.

TRY THIS TODAY

Pick one of these to test over the next 48 hours.

  • Cut your team’s open priorities by half

  • Audit one major project and define “done” more clearly

  • Cancel one standing meeting and replace it with a written check-in

  • Create a mid-project feedback checkpoint for your next deliverable

  • Block one day this week as a no-meeting zone

High performance without burnout isn’t about working smarter.

It’s about leading cleaner.

HOW I CAN HELP

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

  1. Want quick, bite-sized lessons?
    Check out my free Lightning Sessions—short, actionable trainings on leadership, AI, and project management. Watch previous recordings or sign up for upcoming sessions here.

  2. Want to lead projects, use AI to save time, manage stakeholders with confidence, and grow as a leader?
    Join my upcoming live cohort of the AI-Enhanced Project Management & Leadership Accelerator. Enroll here. It’s a hands-on program designed to build real-world leadership skills that stick.

  3. Prefer self-paced learning?
    Explore my LinkedIn Learning courses. Practical, step-by-step lessons you can apply immediately. Access them here.

✍️ From the Desk of Justin Bateh, PhD
Real-world tactics. No fluff. Just what works.