Welcome to Project Orion, Vanderbilt University’s initiative to redefine performance management and support the growth of our staff and leaders.
At Vanderbilt, our mission is to bring out the best in humanity, guided by our motto, Dare to Grow. In the Division of People, Culture and Belonging, we are committed to applying this mission to our work, workforce and workplace by equipping our employees with the tools they need to succeed.
Project Orion is our performance management initiative—establishing a clear framework for growth, development and engagement. By defining expectations, fostering meaningful feedback and providing recognition and opportunities, performance management empowers staff to reach their full potential. With a focus on excellence, fairness and growth, Project Orion will shape a performance management policy that ensures all employees are valued, supported and positioned to contribute meaningfully to the university’s success. This initiative fosters a culture of engagement, accountability and innovation across our community.
As a key pillar of People, Culture and Belonging’s strategic vision, Project Orion reinforces our commitment to a high-performance culture rooted in Vanderbilt’s core values. By aligning individual contributions with the university’s strategic goals, this structured framework strengthens our collective success. Through Project Orion, we are laying the foundation for a cohesive and comprehensive approach to staff development, ensuring every employee has the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Connecting Our Points: Project Orion Objectives
Project Orion is built on three objectives
- Leveraging Our Skills-Based Job Architecture:
We are currently working to build a skills-based job architecture through Project Polaris that provides a clear framework for assessing roles and responsibilities. This architecture is central to the performance management tool, ensuring that reviews are focused, relevant and actionable. - Fostering Growth and Development:
The project emphasizes open communication and career discussions between staff and leaders. It’s about more than evaluating performance—it’s about paving pathways for professional success. - Connecting to Institutional Goals:
By aligning individual and team objectives with organizational priorities, Project Orion ensures that every effort contributes to the broader mission.
Our Philosophy
Vanderbilt is committed to providing employees with the resources they need to succeed. Employees are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to their roles by consistently delivering satisfactory performance while adhering to all applicable workplace policies and procedures and legal standards.
Vanderbilt’s values of belonging, self-direction, collaboration, and growth guide our performance management philosophy. We believe that performance management is not a static process, but a dynamic, human-centered system designed to develop individuals and amplify their potential.
Our Guiding Principles
Our performance management approach is grounded in the following principles:
- Continuous Growth Over Static Reviews: Feedback is ongoing, real-time, and forward-looking—designed to build capability, not just evaluate a snapshot of performance.
- Skill-Based Goal Alignment: Goals are co-created by staff and departmental leadership, tied to real capabilities (not solely titles), and reflect the university’s mission and evolving needs.
- Empowered Self-Direction: Employees are trusted professionals who own their growth. Departmental leaderships act as coaches and partners.
- Context Matters: Performance is assessed with an understanding of possible increased workload, shifting priorities, and changes in the demands of day-to-day work.
- Collaboration and Culture Count: We reward not just what gets done, but how, emphasizing trust and teamwork.
- Growth Is Essential: Development is not optional—it is expected and supported through coaching, stretch assignments, and ongoing learning and development resources.
- Feedback Without Fear: Two-way feedback is encouraged and normalized as part of our culture of trust and transparency.
What's in it for me?
Charting: Timeline and Milestones
We’re looking to launch our Pilot in March and full roll-out to the university in July. We are committed to creating a performance management system that uplifts every member of our organization. By focusing on clarity, growth and alignment, we are mapping a brighter future for our people and our institution.
