Most leaders don’t realise they’re holding onto the wrong people until it’s costing them growth. 

In this episode, Jonathan breaks down a simple, no-fluff method for figuring out whether your team is built to scale, or if they’re actually stalling your potential.

Forget annual reviews and bloated org charts. This is about making sharp, data-informed decisions that protect your people and your profitability. You’ll learn how to separate high-performers from dead weight, develop the right players, and lead with metrics that actually move the needle.

You’ll hear about what bare ass minimums really mean for leadership and execution, how to design KPIs that predict success instead of just tracking it, and the quiet difference between strategy on paper and results in reality.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• Why annual appraisals are a waste of time and what to do instead (01:05)
• How to use scorecards to define role clarity, boost leadership performance, and build a team that drives profit (03:00)
• Why defining your team’s bare asked minimums (BAMs) is the KPI shift that unlocks consistent, predictable growth (06:06)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• Stop relying on annual performance reviews. Quarterly talent reviews give you real-time clarity on who’s helping the business grow and who’s holding it back.
• Assess your team like a strategic asset. Regularly evaluate every team member using objective criteria, not just loyalty or tenure.
• Topgrade with intention. Aim for 80% A-players and accept a short-term 20% B-player allowance, as long as they’re developing fast.
• Get serious about mission-driven KPIs. Tie every role’s key metrics to the company’s mission and profitability, not just generic job duties.
• Set Bare Ass Minimums (BAMs) to define non-negotiables. Clarify the absolute minimum effort required to move the needle in each role, especially in sales and leadership.
• Lead with both compassion and conviction. Caring about people doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. Protect the business and the person.
• Leadership development isn’t optional. Every leadership team member needs a growth plan. Without it, you’re flying blind on future performance.

If you’re serious about building a business that scales beyond you, it starts with building the team that can carry it.

Subscribe to Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps for insights and strategies to scale your business.

QUOTES

“I don’t believe in annual appraisals at all. In my view, you should be assessing and ranking your team every quarter.” – Jonathan Herps

“When you hire someone, they can’t just step into a productive role immediately, because they’ve got to be trained how to be productive in the actual function. And that’s why we make a provision for B players.” – Jonathan Herps