Do You Have What It Takes To Be A High-Performance Organisation?

Unless you are happy being a hobby business, then a High-Performance Organisation (HPO) or high-performing business should be your ultimate aim. But what exactly is an HPO and how do you create one?

What is a high-performing business?

A high-performing business is an organisation that is outperforming their competitors and succeeding on all fronts. It is a business that understands the needs to balance their focus on the employees with the standard of work and service that is offered to their customers. They are efficient, productive, innovative and experienced. They understand the need to invest in the future of the business both in terms of technology and training.

How do you create a high-performing business?

If you want a high-performing business, then it starts with your employees and management, in particular. Aim for a high-performing culture by implementing specific standards and goals to work towards. By looking to change the culture from within, you are setting yourself up to win. By doing this, your business is setting out to create a competitive advantage against even the largest organisations in your industry. Your company culture, regardless of the size of your business, should never be taken for granted. It is a work in progress and needs to be made a priority if you want to create long-lasting changes.

Educate your employees

Educating your employees is key to making changes in the organisation. Each employee must be on the same page and have a solid understanding of where your vision lies and how they can set out to achieve your corporate aims. As employees join your team, take them through a standard ‘welcome to the company’ process, so they understand that high-performance is expected on all levels. Also, take the time to implement training programs for employees who already work there. This way all employees will understand the corporate goals whether new or otherwise. Use effective company tools such as storytelling, regular internal communication, meetings and workshops to shape the future.

Measure high-performance

There is really no way of knowing that you are performing above and beyond without some kind of metric to quantify the change or results. While not every individual focus will be profit related, you will need to find some way to measure the results to continuously improve your processes. If you want to be better than your competitors, think of ways that you can measure that while staying true to your strategy and vision. Make everyone accountable for their achievements, their efforts and most importantly, their wins. Set stretch targets to energise your team and boost their morale, especially at the beginning of the process.

Prioritise your goals

Having a list of 20 priorities to improve upon in the next twelve months can leave even the most well-established companies floundering to discover their next move. Prioritise what changes need to be made to reach a high-performance level and make sure these are implemented and achieved before you add more goals to the list. You want to make an impact within the organisation, as well as out, and focusing on a select few goals will help you get there faster. Clearly define each move and strategy, and connect the dots back to the overall corporate mission.