Creating a High-Performance Organization that Delivers

It takes much thought and perseverance to create high performance organizations. These organizations also go through their highs and lows. In my quest of creating high performance organizations I have obtained some insights that I wish to share.
1. Hiring is always a gamble. You may reduce the risk through behavioural interviews; however, human beings are very unpredictable. One can never be certain of their effectiveness in a
given space of work. It is best to work on testing their behaviours over extended and multiple assessments that are closely linked to the job environment. A control at recruitment stage always helps. Do not hire in desperation ever. It is better to go for delayed gratification than instant gratification.
2. On-boarding is a very critical process. Putting the team in simulated environments and role plays helps a lot. Focus on grooming into the culture. Let the leadership of the organization play a crucial role in this process.
3. Compliance to quality and processes is a must. The tolerance levels to deviations must be bare minimum. Deviations create rework which results in deterioration of performance and increase in frustration levels. Kind managers cannot create high performance organization; which does not imply we need managers who are unkind and ruthless but over kindness is a sin.
4. Make the teams move into zones of discomfort by challenging them to the next level of performance. The rule is clear, either grow in competence as organization scales up or perish. We cannot create an organization full of flab at the middle and top. Cut the bottom 15% continuously, which could also mean internal rotations.
5. Don’t have people in critical positions who wish to do a job only. You need people who are passionate about their careers. Gone are the days of mediocrity, we need productive people.
6. Train in skills and competencies continuously and targets for their scale-up have to be clearly defined for each individual in their IDP’s.
7.Coach regularly for high performance. Managers must act as “coaches” for sure.
8.An organization needs people who work together to help each other win. Politics and individualism must be prohibited.
9.Demand performance, it does not come by its own. 10. Reward the performers and fast track them. Give them critical roles. Tenure ship is not a definer of success, past performance is.This ten-step approach will help create a high-performance organization. Don’t fear when you hit a low, it’s the best time for culture change. Take charge and tell your teams you mean business they will respect you for sure. It does not matter what the non-performers think.