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How Coca-Cola made performance conversations more human

A practical shift that improved feedback, support and team performance

Photo of a group of people sat around a table eating pizza with a white version of the Coca Cola logo superimposed in the middle foreground
0%
of associates preferred performance enablement over traditional performance management
 
 
0%
increase in “I have the support I need to be successful” in one business unit
0%
of underperformers improved within 4–6 weeks

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s most recognisable brands, with its beverages sold in over 200 countries and consumed more than 1.8 billion times each day. Headquartered in Atlanta, it produces the concentrate for drinks like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which are bottled and distributed through a global network of partners.

The Coca-Cola Company
Food and beverage services
70,000 employees
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Performance management

Challenge

From ratings and reviews to a call for clarity

Coca-Cola’s traditional performance management system was no longer fit for purpose. Formal mid-year and year-end reviews, performance ratings and self-assessments were failing to support strategic goals. Associates were unclear on how their work contributed to business outcomes, and managers lacked the tools to have effective performance conversations.

A company-wide survey revealed a growing disconnect: employees did not believe performance ratings were fair, and formal self-assessments lacked impact. Inconsistencies in process and perception made it difficult to have open, meaningful dialogue. Most importantly, the drive for change came from the business itself – not just from HR.

Coca-Cola needed a simpler, smarter way to enable performance at every level – one grounded in clarity, feedback and shared responsibility.

"We were spending about 375,000 hours and roughly $23.4 million from a time and cost perspective. And what we found is that there was no correlation to our business performance... If you looked at a business unit within our organisation that was using performance management and meeting all of the compliance, their business results weren't any different than a business unit that may not have been compliant with our performance management approach."

Headshot photo of Mark Kaestner, Group Director, Global Learning & Leadership Development at The Coca-Cola Company
Mark Kaestner
Group Director, Global Learning & Leadership Development, The Coca-Cola Company

Solution

Practical tools, human conversations, global scale

Coca-Cola replaced its legacy approach with a new performance philosophy: Performance Enablement. The goal was clear – to mobilise people around the work that matters most.

Formal ratings, cascading objectives and written self-assessments were replaced by simple, human practices:

  • Aligning associate skills to priority work
  • Setting clear expectations
  • Delivering frequent informal feedback
  • Recalibrating priorities when needed

The rollout included:

  • A monthly reflection tool for managers to assess each direct report in under five minutes
  • A simple team framework to ensure work was focused and meaningful
  • Monthly upward feedback surveys from associates

To build belief and capability, Coca-Cola launched a global learning journey with scalable, practical interventions. Managers took part in simulations, MOOCs and alignment sessions. Job aids, playbooks and toolkits helped embed new behaviours.

A key moment in the campaign was the launch of Let’s Get REAL – a web series featuring real stories from across the organisation, designed to build emotional connection and create a movement around performance conversations.

"We had one purpose for our performance enablement practise, and it was to mobilise our people around the work that matters most to execute our business strategy."

Headshot photo of David Jakes, Global Manager, Leadership & Capability Development at The Coca-Cola Company
David Jakes
Global Manager, Leadership & Capability Development, The Coca-Cola Company

Results

Improved feedback, stronger support, real impact

The new approach quickly gained traction. Across the organisation, Coca-Cola saw sustained improvement in every item on the upward feedback survey.

In one business unit:

  • “I have the support I need to be successful” increased by 31%
  • “I feel supported by my teammates” rose by 16%

Managers became more engaged with the process:

  • 71% completed their monthly reflections
  • 59% of associates provided upward feedback

When asked which approach they preferred:

  • 66% of associates chose performance enablement
  • Only 14% preferred the traditional model
Even among underperforming employees, the shift showed results. Of the 8% identified as struggling, 28% showed improvement within just 4–6 weeks.

"We saw a significant change, from the old approach to the new approach, where individuals felt that the new approach helped enable higher performance. We also saw that when we talked with individuals around which approach they prefer, 66% preferred the new approach versus 14% that preferred the traditional approach."

Headshot photo of Mark Kaestner, Group Director, Global Learning & Leadership Development at The Coca-Cola Company
Mark Kaestner
Group Director, Global Learning & Leadership Development, The Coca-Cola Company

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