Case Study
In 2014, after five years of rapid growth — and projecting even faster growth ahead — the global health service company Cigna decided to revisit its HR policies, starting with its performance management system.
Impact 94% of managers report better leadership skills
Scale 4500 managers
Speed 12 months
Cigna realized that its existing performance management system was focused on past performance instead of future results. Emphasis was placed more on deficits rather than on strengths, assuming that an employee’s current performance represented the best they could do, explains Karla Shores, Director of Performance Management. Realizing a change was necessary, Cigna engaged the NeuroLeadership Institute to overhaul its performance management system — abolishing performance ratings, teaching managers the skills of constructive communication, and equipping all employees with a brain-based framework for giving and receiving feedback.