21/10/2023
This term High Performance Culture gets thrown around like it is the panacea to all organisational challenges, but what really is it? I joined a management consulting firm 15 years ago and it was the buzz word on speed dial. I question that many then knew what it REALLY was and why it was important. Thankfully the world has progressed and particularly Covid has put more attention on organisational culture, how to define the components within it and how to genuinely achieve it with the desired results.
Let’s try to break it down into its two main components: HIGH PERFORMANCE and CULTURE. They have been so meshed together, what do they mean separately?
Let’s start with culture. It’s the elements that make an organisation unique. Defining culture often starts with the lived (not just spoken) values as well as behaviours – ‘the way things are done around here’. It’s what connects, binds an employee to the organisation. It is being clear about where the organisation is going, through its vision, strategy or the forming scribbles of a CEO. And letting team members know how their work connects to it. As Patrick Lencioni chants it’s “Clarity, Clarity, Clarity”. Culture creates a deep sense of belonging, your work home, the elements collectively that keep an employee connected, engaged and performing.
So then to High Performance. Connections are immediately drawn to the field of ‘performance management’ – performance reviews, performance cycles, ratings, calibration. It makes most folk shudder. And with good reason. When organisations discuss performance it’s really mostly about monitoring performance. Not helping people to perform better, or god forbid, at their best. What about traditional performance management is about truly enhancing performance?
Enhancing performance starts with setting expectations and then regularly revisiting them. Every conversation is a coaching conversation, guiding an individual to success, incorporating real feedback that can be actioned clearly addressing opportunities for development. There may be a ‘review’ or multiple throughout the year but they’re almost a rubber stamp of what has been discussed every week or fortnight.
So when you talk about high performance culture, is your organisation set up to enable your team to perform to the best of their potential? If you want to design the right culture for your organisation, redefine your approach to performance or have the right coaching and feedback conversations, please contact Mark here or call on 0431 338552.
