Ep#52: Performance Without the Buzzwords – Doing What Matters, Better.

DESIGN THINKER PODCAST

We throw around words like productivity, engagement, and performance all the time. But do we actually know what they mean or how to create the conditions for them to thrive?

In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter are joined by Craig Steel, Founder and Chief Executive of Vantaset. This conversation explores what real performance looks like in modern organizations and the shift that leaders need to make to achieve the results that matter.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand key factors that keep organizations stagnant

• Learn the difference between productivity and performance

• Discover practical insights on how to create the conditions for performance

Meet Our Guest Craig Steel

Craig Steel is the founder and Chief Executive of Vantaset – the world’s first people-focused high-performance operating system for business.

Craig is considered by many to be one of the world’s foremost performance transformation experts and Australasia’s leading authority on workplace performance.

He has worked full-time in the performance industry for over 30 years, acted as the head performance advisor to many of the country’s top athletes and helped over 50 Chief Executives transform the performance of their organisation.

Today, Craig and his team are helping CE’s globally build more competitive future-ready organisations.

You can connect with Craig on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigsteel/

Show Notes

Performance ≠ Productivity
Organizations often reward busyness instead of outcomes. Craig explains why real performance is about effectiveness, not activity.

Clarity Over Control
Lack of clarity—not lack of effort—is what drives underperformance. When people don’t know the “why,” they default to just doing the job.

From Systemic Sludge to Strategic Relevance
Employees want to contribute. But rigid systems turn meaningful work into meaningless tasks. Leaders must rewire the system, not blame the people.

Courageous Leadership
The best leaders don’t need to be right—they’re willing to be wrong, and they create space for others to think, contribute, and grow.

The AI Distraction
AI isn’t a get-out-of-investing-in-people-free card. When tech becomes an excuse to cut rather than elevate, organizations lose their greatest asset: human potential.

The Factory Model is Broken
Despite 21st-century challenges, most companies still operate like 19th-century factories. It’s time to redesign work for knowledge, not compliance.

Practices You Can Apply

Ask: What could we become?
A powerful question to reframe conversations and unlock new possibilities.

Reconnect people to purpose
Every employee should know how their work contributes to something bigger.

Audit for clarity
Do your teams know what success looks like? Start there before adding new KPIs.

Redesign for thinking, not tasking
Stop building systems that assume people are just there to “do a job.” Let them solve problems.

Look at behavior as feedback
Before you assume someone’s disengaged, ask what the system is rewarding—or punishing.

Memorable Quotes

• “We didn’t hire you to do a job. We hired you to make a difference.” — Craig Steel
• “Performance is not about output. It’s about contribution and impact.” — Dr Dani
• “If the All Blacks ran their team like most businesses run their staff, they’d never win a match.” — Craig Steel
• “Culture isn’t warm and fuzzy. It’s the system that either unlocks or limits human potential.” — Peter Allan
• “What could we become?” — Craig Steel