Last year, I wrote about the Four Pillars of High Performance. That article focused on the four areas of an individual's world that they must focus on to perform at their best.
In this article, I want to look at what organisations can do to realise their fullest potential.
Consider the vegetable garden
Anyone reading this article will agree that performing at your best is its own reward.
But on an organisational level, high performance is the means to achieve something.
To help us along in this article, let us use a vegetable garden as an analogy for the organisation. I choose this because it is an accessible image for everyone. Also, the aim of a vegetable garden is growth, and prosperous output.
Before digging in (these puns write themselves don't they?), it is worth providing some definitions. After all, the words "growth" and "high performance" are buzz-words in business culture. We hear them all the time, but what do they mean?
Growth = Progress
We all know what "growth" means, but the concept suggests different things to each of us.
Some companies want to grow to epic proportions and take on the world. For some, growth means an eventual sale or IPO. For others, growth could mean making a good profit whilst staying small.
Whatever way you define growth for your organisation is the right choice for you - as long as you define it. (Click here for more on organisational vision, brought to you by my friend and mentor David Chapman). The ideas we'll look at in this article apply equally to a company of any size, and with any goal in mind.
I offer the following definition;
Growth / ɡrəʊθ / - the intentional and desirable progression of an organisation (towards a set goal).
High Performance = Gracefulness
Everybody talks about high performance (especially coaches). Like growth, we know it when we experience it.
Here is my definition;
High Performance / hʌɪ pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns /- operating consistently in a highly skilful and impactful manner.
High performance is a balancing act.
It is not about maximum effort, though it requires effort to both achieve and maintain.
It is not about maximum activity, but rather about the right impact and effect.
It is not about maximum amounts of time spent on a task, but rather knowing when that task is done in the right way to achieve the desired output.
It is not about a single act, but rather a continuous, diligent and sustained focus on the chosen Craft.
When we see someone performing at their best, in business, sport or the arts, we do not see someone being busy. We see someone committed; to the moment, to the task at hand, or to the mission they are on. We see them do exactly what needs to be done - no more, and no less.
We do not see busyness when we witness high performance - we see gracefulness.
The Three Pillars - Soil, Seeds and Sun
So how do we achieve high performance across an organisation? We need three things. We need the right mindset, the right skills, and the right culture.
To come back to our garden, think of skills as the seeds, mindset as the soil, and culture as the sun.
(On a side note, I do understand that seeds need water as well. But since water doesn't begin with an 'S', I made the creative decision to omit this. Sorry to all you avid gardeners out there!).
Skills (Seeds)
One of the main performance barriers I see in companies is that people were never shown how to do their jobs. They were never properly trained.
Yes, they received onboarding. (Although only 12% of employees believe they were adequately onboarded).
Yes, they were introduced to the team.
Yes, they were shown how the tech stack works and where they could make a coffee. (Pre-March 2020 at least.)
But were they trained on how to give a presentation? How much time went on prioritisation and time-planning skills? Did you invest in their ability to have a commercial conversation?
Nothing grows if seeds aren't planted.
New ideas and new skills have to be planted on a regular basis in order to progress, grow and thrive. Soil and sun alone won't give you much.
Mindset (Soil)
Training takes care of the performance question "how do I do this?".
Mindset is to do with the performance question "how do I do this?".
Henry Ford said:
"Whether you think you can or you can't - you're right."
The way we think is the way we act. Our mindset towards our role is the sum of our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.
If we think we can't do something, we find ways to support that idea, and we don't do it.
If we believe we can do something, we tend to find a way to get it done.
Let's look at public speaking as an example. If you are not confident public speakers - chances are you have read loads of tips on how to be a better public speaker. Some of those tips may have landed, but are you any more confident? Probably not.
Until we examine our own thoughts, attitudes and beliefs towards public speaking. We cannot understand the mindset barriers that hold us back from performing well.
Our seeds of new information cannot grow in the wrong soil. If we don't stand back and ask why we are not a confident public speaker we can't sort that out. And if we can't sort that out, how will standing up straighter or striking a power pose help us?
Have you ever been on a great training day with work? The ideas were excellent, and everyone was fired up and ready to make great things happen?
And nothing changed?
Mindset will determine the impact and implementation of new skills far more than the new skills themselves.
A person has a mindset, but so does an organisation. Teams tend to think in similar ways (and those ways are usually informed by leadership).
An organisation develops a way of thinking that is either conducive to high performance, or not.
Before planting the seeds, we must first make sure we have the right soil.
Culture (Sun)
If "growth" and "high-performance" feature on the business buzz-word list, "culture" must top the list. So here is a definition;
Culture is the way we do things around here.
Though abstract, Culture is fundamental to organisational high-performance.
Why?
I'll give you three reasons.
Reason #1 - The right culture is how change actually happens
Humans are social creatures. It is in our evolutionary interest to fit in with our tribe. And the easiest way to fit in? Don't be different.
Suppose someone who smokes is trying to quit. All of her friends are smokers. Her partner smokes. Her parents smoke. Her dog smokes.
She lives and operates in a culture where 'we smoke around here' (to use my definition above). Will it be easy for her to quit? We know the answer is a resounding 'No'.
If one person in a team is trying to do something new, different and better, but no-one else is, change won't happen.
That's why, if you want your new skills and mindset work to take effect long term, you need to put work into your culture to support it.
Put another way, without adequate sunshine, the seeds in the soil won't grow.
Reason #2 - The right culture determines how much your people care
Sir Richard Branson has a great sniff-test for a company's culture.
If an employee talks about their organisation using "we", the company has a good culture. If an employee uses the pronoun "they" - that company is in trouble.
The logic behind this is simple. Great cultures are ones that people want to be a part of. They energise teams and motivate them to go above and beyond. People who are part of great cultures care about that culture and their role in it.
(For more on great cultures, my friend and mentor David Chapman and I talk a lot about it in this episode of our podcast).
Reason #3 - The right culture determines if and for how long your people stay
The days of working only for a pay-check and for a single company are gone.
People want more from a job than just a salary. According to Gallup, one-third of global employees strongly agree with the following statement;
“The mission and purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important.”
So that means that two out of three disagree. The organisational culture does nothing to make two thirds of their team feel valued.
Now consider this.
52% of exiting employees 'state that their manager or organisation could have done something to prevent them leaving'.
This means that 1 in 2 employees who leave, wouldn't have, if their company took some sort of action.
This means that the culture - the way things are done around that employee - failed to take action to stop that person quitting their job.
To sum up - your culture is important if you want your talent to stay.
Seasons and Cycles, not Fits and Starts
True high-performance is a full time job, but there is plenty you can do to help your organisation on its way.
The key is to realise that real change takes time and diligence. Little and often is better than one massive away day a year. I am fond of the quote:
"The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit"
The gardener knows that while he is harvesting this year's crops, he must be planting seeds for the future simultaneously.
The same is true of culture. There is no immediate consequence to inaction today, but the cumulative effect of ignoring these pillars is massive. What you do today will affect your tomorrow, and what you didn't do yesterday is the cause of what you have today.
Working on any one of these pillars - mindset, skills or culture - will have a positive impact.
But for maximum effect, you need to work on all three.
Make time to tend to your organisational garden and treat it as fundamental. Invest in your people and yourself.
So, what now?
Below are a couple of suggestions for you to explore these ideas further.
"The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni
"Tribal Leadership" by Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright
Now, go tend to that garden.