Get Clear, Get Aligned, Get Growing: Because What You Track Is What You Achieve!

Published 12 February 2026 | 3 min read

As we close out the financial year, there’s reason for cautious optimism across the New Zealand SME landscape. We’re seeing green shoots in demand, stabilising costs and improving market confidence. But these positive signals won’t automatically turn into sustained growth unless we take the time now to sharpen how our people contribute to that momentum.

One of the smartest things you can do at this stage is update your position descriptions (PDs), key performance indicators (KPIs) and reinforce a meaningful review and feedback system. Why? Because people don’t perform well by accident — they perform well when expectations are clear, relevant and tied to results.

Clarity drives performance

Too often in SMEs, PDs are written once, filed, and forgotten. Roles evolve, priorities shift, and team members end up working in ambiguity. That lack of clarity shows up as inefficiency, misaligned effort and frustrated staff. Well-written PDs are not just HR paperwork they’re alignment tools that give people and their managers a clear roadmap of what success looks like.

Now is the ideal time to revisit them while the business is planning its next 12 months. Ask: Does this role reflect what we really need? Is it aligned to our strategic priorities? Has it been updated to include the realities of the past year? If the answer’s “I’m not sure”, it’s time for a refresh.

KPIs that matter

“KPIs” shouldn’t be busywork or worse, meaningless numbers that nobody looks at until quarter-end. Great KPIs do two things: they tie a person’s effort to the outcomes that matter to the business, and they give managers something real to talk about in conversations with their people. Rather than measuring outputs alone, meaningful KPIs reflect outcomes tied to current strategy and organisational goals.

And there’s a compelling business case for doing this right: companies that focus on performance management and people alignment are over 4 times more likely to outperform their peers, deliver around 30 % higher revenue growth and experience lower staff turnover;  evidence that the effort pays off both culturally and financially.

Feedback, not just once a year

Annual reviews are outdated and often counter-productive. Modern performance systems are built on regular, honest and constructive feedback. Informal check-ins that help people adjust course, learn and feel valued. A great review system isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about supporting development and holding meaningful conversations about progress.

When feedback only happens once a year, people can feel blindsided.  But when it’s regular and tied to well-defined PDs and KPIs, it becomes a tool that reinforces the behaviour you want to see.

Why now?

Because you can. When you’re in survival mode, people systems get postponed. When you’re flat-out busy, they get deprioritised. But right now, with the economy showing positive signs, you have space to think and plan strategically rather than reactively. That’s a rare opportunity in the life of a growing SME.

Refreshing PDs, aligning KPIs and strengthening your feedback culture isn’t a tick-box exercise it’s building the foundation for the next phase of growth. It creates clarity, drives accountability, improves engagement and gives every person in your business a real chance to contribute to success.

Get clear, get aligned, get growing, because what you track is what you achieve.

Written by

Amy Lawson
HR Consulting Manager