What high performance culture looks like
I spend a lot of my time talking and thinking about high performance culture. If you’ve worked in a company with a truly brilliant culture, then you don’t need me to explain what it is or why it’s important. It’s obvious when you’ve seen it, and those of us who have tend to spend the rest of our careers trying to recapture the magic. Similarly, if you’ve been subjected to a particularly bad working environment, you’ll have a vivid memory of the things to avoid.
Most companies don’t sit at the extremes, though. Most companies are bland and it’s difficult to define what their culture really is. When people question the value of culture, it’s usually because they’ve spent their working lives in places that just aren’t much to write home about, and without a clear model of what’s possible, it’s hard to build something great.
So, if you need a little clarity, in this blog I’ll fill the gap for you.
Come with me as we visit one of my favourite companies, Culture Centric Solutions. CCS have groundbreaking technology, but that’s not the thing they’re most proud of. Since the day the company was founded, the CCS leadership team have made building a healthy, high-performance culture an absolute priority.
As we walk around the CCS offices, there’s an air of calm. The people we encounter are tackling complex issues, but they’re doing it without much drama. It’s obvious from the way they interact that they enjoy working together and are happy to see each other when they meet. That doesn’t mean they always agree - on a couple of occasions, we pass conference rooms where there’s heated, passionate and robust debate. If we stay to see the conclusions of those meetings, though, we witness respect for the opinions and expertise of the other side, leading to productive compromise and better decisions. There’s a palpable confidence in the fact that everyone at the company is working together to achieve the same goals, even though they sometimes differ in their opinions on the best way to approach the opportunities and challenges they face.
Hang around a little longer, and you’ll notice something unusual. Although the CCS workforce is diverse by any measure you care to apply, there seems to be an implicit understanding of what’s important, what’s acceptable and how decisions are made. You hear the same words repeated, like catchphrases, across the organisation and when they’re mentioned, everyone knows exactly what they mean. They can even change behaviour when it’s becoming unproductive.
Hiring is something CCS put a lot of effort into, but for the most part it goes smoothly. They’re able to attract high-performing people who share their values, even for difficult to fill positions. When new team members join, there’s a strong, consistent track record of performance and success, supported by a comprehensive onboarding process. For both new hires and long-serving staff (of which there are many) there’s a regular, ongoing, open conversation about both company and individual performance, which comes from a supportive place, assuming good intentions, but never shying away from tackling issues that need to be addressed. As a result, overall achievement levels are high and the company has developed a reputation for overcoming obstacles and meeting deadlines. This makes CCS’ investors and customers very happy.
You can see, too, that people are learning, growing and excited about the future. In the kitchen there’s a gathering celebrating a big promotion, and at one set of tables one of the company’s VPs is talking to a team member about taking the lead on a new project. She’s visibly nervous about stepping into unfamiliar territory, but her manager is reassuring, telling her all the reasons why she’ll excel in the role, outlining the challenges she’ll face and discussing how the company will support her.
It strikes you that this is one of the only situations in which you’ve been able to tell the hierarchy within a relationship. There’s not much distinction between the official leadership team and everyone else. Rank doesn’t seem important and you sense high levels of ownership and accountability. As you stand waiting for your next meeting, someone approaches you, smiling, and asks if you’re being looked after - it’s only later that you find out they’re the CEO.
When you speak to people across the CCS team, common themes emerge. They love the environment, understand the importance and impact of their work, and learn from those around them every day. They feel heard, empowered, valued and trusted.
How do you think it would feel to be part of an environment like this? How engaged and productive do you imagine CCS’ staff are? Do they sound like a company that’s likely to be successful?
In next week’s blog, we’ll visit another company where we’ll see a poor culture in action. In the meantime, though, think about how your organisation compares to CCS. Where would you begin trying to close the gap?
(P.S. If you know someone who needs to read this today, send it to them and encourage them to subscribe to the Versapiens blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, come join us on our journey through the intersection between culture, technology and business.)