Purpose -Organisational performance requires robust performance management, with the leadership skills and behaviours to bring the process to life. This paper seeks to address the challenge of how HR can get an understanding of the associated shift required within organisations.Design/methodology/approach -The paper outlines the key elements of the transformation required to embed a performance management culture. The term performance management is used to describe the practice of managing performance, including the associated processes, systems, skills and leadership behaviours. To implement performance management successfully, HR needs to gain an understanding of how things are now (the current state); the vision of what is possible (the desired state); and the practical steps that can be taken (the shift).Findings -In an increasingly complex environment there are a greater number of factors that impact the success of key HR practices such as performance management. HR needs to collect powerful data to ensure that it can understand which of the factors have an influence on how transformations can be undertaken, and practices, such as performance management, embedded. Originality/value -HR can play a strategic role in transforming an organisation. The value for HR is in linking together the various insights these data can provide to understand causal links, and then translating all of this into a change strategy that is aligned to the organisation's vision and strategy. HR can use data to build a compelling case for change and the need for a performance management system, process and practice that are focused on delivering the organisational strategy.