EP 102: Talent Density: Your New KPI for Culture, Productivity & Profit

Update: 2025-08-18

Description

Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of “The Strength of Talent” has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth.

Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems like annual reviews or quarterly reviews when so few leaders believe they make a real impact. He introduces the idea of “talent density,” a measure of the gap between high and low performers, and explains why it’s a sharper way to understand organizational health. He walks through his five-step framework that calls for clear expectations, honest assessments done as a team, real leadership accountability, and a balance between productivity and culture fit.

How often do we keep a top producer who quietly undermines the culture? Where is “good enough” quietly slowing the roles that drive a company forward? Mike shares strategies leaders can start using right away, even without company-wide adoption, and explains why a slow, thoughtful rollout builds trust and lasting results. This episode challenges the way performance management is typically done and offers a grounded approach to helping both people and the business grow stronger.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Talent Density Explained

01:51 People Growth Drives Profit

03:55 Assessing Performance Beyond Annual Reviews

06:25 Leadership Accountability for People Growth

08:01 Broken Performance Management System

09:17 Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting (QTAM)

11:14 Talent Density Indicator (TDI) Overview

14:40 Culture Fit as a Performance Metric

18:45 Roles Where Good Enough Fails

23:06 Applying the System as a Middle Manager

29:01 Change Management and Rollout Strategy