A study carried out recently in Australia looked at 11 organisations over a 20-year period. The purpose of the project was to find the answers for organisations wanting to lift performance. The work can be found in Hubbard et al (2002) The First XI: Winning Organisations in Australia (Wiley 2002).
There was a balanced view on what counted as high performance, which covered financial, market, internal efficiency and long-term development measures.
The research from this study found nine key elements to high perfomrance organisations:
- Effective execution: High performing organisations do what they say!
- Perfect Alignment: Practicising a culture of continuous improvement, high performing organisations use systems as the critical foundation for aligning culture, leadership, people and perceptions to strategy
- Adapt rapidly: Even if perfect alignment is achieved it may have to be changed as circumstances change, therefore flexibility is the key
- Clear Strategy: High performing organisations have a clear strategy but are always seeking to take advantage of incremental opportunities, even if they are outside their current clear strategy
- Leadership not Leaders: Leadership is about teams not individuals. Leaders exhibit "captain-coach" styles and leaders are available, egalitarian, supporting their people, not setting difficult challenges from afar
- Looking out, Looking in: High performing organisations are externally focussed. They are aware of their customers, environment, community, industry and international trends;
- Right People: High performing organisations hire people who believe in their cause. They also invest in customised training and promote from within where possible
- Manage the Downside: Despite rapid growth, innovation and looking outwards, high performing organisations consider themselves to be conservative. They look the downside along with the upside of any action/decision and seek to share risks with other organisations, customers and their people
- Balance Everything: Rather than trying to choose between alternatives, high-performing organisations choose both, for example while focussing on financials they will also focus on delivering value to customers
In summary it has thrown light on the importance of:
- Leaders who mentor and coach and are accessible to everyone. It points out that a leader is not as effective if they are confined to being a figure head directing from a pedestal;
- Values and culture as opposed to mission statements for taking advantage of alternative opportunites and having the right flexibility to respond to changing circumstances;
- The vital importance of training and development on the job, which fosters promotion from withn;
- Planning and accountability are vital
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