In this webinar, Joydeep Hor the Managing Principal of the fastest growing workplace relations firm in Australia, People + Culture Strategies brings his 17+ years' experience in advising some of the world's largest corporations on what it takes to introduce a high performance culture. What is your organisations currently like? Joydeep lists several questions for a self-audit. What have some organisations done to address this?

1. CREATING A HIGH
PERFORMANCE CULTURE FOR
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Joydeep Hor
16 April 2014

2. Overview
A moment of
introspection …
What is a high
performance
culture?
Audit – where
are you at?
Leadership Infrastructure Approaches
Essential
Performance
Management
Questions

3. Is this your organisation?
 Our Leadership Team want this organisation to be a high
performing one
 Our organisation is clear about what differentiates good,
acceptable and bad performance
 Staff in our organisation regularly have conversations
where their performance is assessed
 Staff understand how their performance individually
contributes to the performance of the organisation
 Management of poor performance is a skillset
demonstrated by leaders of our organisation

4. Or is this your organisation?
 Performance conversations are rarely had in our
organisation
 Our focus is on getting the job done and responding to
external challenges
 People are rewarded for good performance and those who
are not rewarded should know that they are not rewarded
 Complaints of bullying (or staff going on stress leave) are
inevitable when performance management takes place in
our organisation
 Staff are reluctant to embrace change in our organisation

5. The elements of a high
performance culture
1. Unique identity
• Sets it apart from competitors
• Provides employees with a sense
of meaning
• Ignites passion for what the
company does
2. Performance attributes
•High integrity
•Performance focused & accountable
•Collaborative
•Agile & adaptable
•Innovative
•Objective measures of success

6. Getting the balance right
Cultures motivating
employees to succeed
Cultures where
Outcomes > Individuals

7. Questions to audit culture
Is the pressure to
perform unreasonable?
Is it sometimes difficult
to ask questions or raise
concerns?
Is bad conduct
rewarded or tolerated?
Is there a close tie
between performance
and rewards?
Does short-term
thinking dominate?
Do employees identify
sufficiently with the
interests of
shareholders?
Do employees
understand and
sufficiently care about
the needs of the
customers?
Is the quality of
products and/or
services a high priority?
Are employees proud of
their organisation?

8. The importance of leadership
Good leadership is important
because organisations take on the
traits and values of its leaders.

9. Good Leadership
Elements
Vision and Values
Alignment and avoiding of
inconsistency of treatment
Accountability – performing at a
high level themselves
Execute diversity of roles
(managers/mentors/ambassadors)

10. Infrastructure - Recruitment
strategy
Where it all
begins
Have you
learnt from
previous
experiences
Understanding
the journey
So many tools
… so little time

11. Infrastructure - Inductions
explains rights and
responsibilities of employer
and employee
promotes understanding the
organisation and its history
communicates policies and
procedures
informs employee about
points of contact within the
organisation

12. Infrastructure - Training
•increased morale and staff retention
•Improved and consistent customer service
•Increased productivity and innovation
•Providing a competitive advantage
Investing in training can benefit
your organisation through:
•Weaknesses can’t be developed much but
employees’ strengths can be developed
infinitely
Trying to get employees to fix
their weaknesses doesn’t work
Sources: “State of the Global Workplace Report 2013” by Gallup and www.business.gov.au

13. Infrastructure - Linking to
bonuses
Pros
• can boost short or long term
performance based on bonus
structure;
• mutually beneficial for employee
and employer;
• communicates that the
organisation has a performance
based culture.
Cons
• can appear inequitable;
• may discourage team work and
collaboration;
• risk of employees falsifying results
to achieve targets;
• may not be cost effective in larger
organisations.

14. Infrastructure - Appraisals
Why do we do them?
Is this just about
money?
Should start with best
picture of strengths and
weaknesses
What competencies are
necessary going forward
Effectiveness?

15. Approaches? - “The cull”
Remove the bottom
performers to keep the
organisation “fresh”

16. Approaches? - “Up or out policies”
Law
Associates
that fail to
reach
partner
status within
10 years
must leave
the firm
Military
Officers
passed over
more than
twice for
promotion
must be
discharged
Academia
Associate
professors
must publish
work to
prove
worthiness
for
promotion
within 4-5
years
Consulting
As long as an
associate is
promotable,
they may
stay.

17. Approaches? – Quadrant analysis
CAN CAN’T
WILL KEEP AT ALL COSTS INVEST INTRAINING
WON’T ATTITUDE
ADJUSTMENTS
REQUIRED
NEED TO BE EXITED

18. Essential Performance
Management
•I want to know earlyImmediacy
•I need specificsClarity
•Take into account my circumstancesCompassion
•Demonstrate that you are trying to turn my performance aroundSupport
•Be genuine with me in what you say you have done, are doing and will doAccuracy
•I know you have been performance managing in your mind but the clock
started when you spoke to mePatience
•If I am being exited for performance reasons do not treat me like a criminalDignity

19. Questions – time permitting

20. CREATING A HIGH
PERFORMANCE CULTURE FOR
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Joydeep Hor
Email: joydeep.hor@peopleculture.com.au