Creating a High Performance, Values-Aligned Culture
PE R S P E CT I V E S
Creating a High Performance, Values-Aligned Culture
Leaders who are clear about their company’s reason for being (purpose) and who define what “good corporate citizens” look like (values) are able to deliver and sustain both performance and employee satisfaction over time. The creation of a purposeful culture—one that holds employees accountable for exceeding performance expectations while modeling the organization’s declared values—is critical for business leaders in today’s marketplace. Developing a high performance, values-aligned culture requires three integrated steps. They are: 1. Clarify performance expectations 2. Define values in behavioral terms 3. Hold leaders and staff accountable
Clarif y Performance Expectations
All good performance starts with clear goals, yet it is amazing how unclear goals are in many organizations.
Leaders can help contributors gain an understanding of their performance expectations through formal planning forms or more informal discussions. The critical outcome is for everyone to agree on standards for key goals. This step reduces confusion, clarifies targets, and focuses efforts for everyone. One key to creating a sustainable business that creates passionate employees who exceed performance standards is shown in the Performance Values Matrix. This model comes from Jack Welch, who, while President/CEO of General Electric, was one of the first corporate senior executives to formally hold leaders and managers in his organization accountable for both performance and values. The model is a simple X-Y graph with the vertical axis representing Performance and the horizontal axis representing the Values Match. The quadrants represent the four possible combinations of high or low performance and high or low values match.
The Performance-Values Matrix
(High)
PERFORMANCE
High Performance and Low Values Match
High Performance and High Values Match
Low Performance and Low Values Match
Low
Creating a High Performance, Values-Aligned Culture
Leaders who are clear about their company’s reason for being (purpose) and who define what “good corporate citizens” look like (values) are able to deliver and sustain both performance and employee satisfaction over time. The creation of a purposeful culture—one that holds employees accountable for exceeding performance expectations while modeling the organization’s declared values—is critical for business leaders in today’s marketplace. Developing a high performance, values-aligned culture requires three integrated steps. They are: 1. Clarify performance expectations 2. Define values in behavioral terms 3. Hold leaders and staff accountable
Clarif y Performance Expectations
All good performance starts with clear goals, yet it is amazing how unclear goals are in many organizations.
Leaders can help contributors gain an understanding of their performance expectations through formal planning forms or more informal discussions. The critical outcome is for everyone to agree on standards for key goals. This step reduces confusion, clarifies targets, and focuses efforts for everyone. One key to creating a sustainable business that creates passionate employees who exceed performance standards is shown in the Performance Values Matrix. This model comes from Jack Welch, who, while President/CEO of General Electric, was one of the first corporate senior executives to formally hold leaders and managers in his organization accountable for both performance and values. The model is a simple X-Y graph with the vertical axis representing Performance and the horizontal axis representing the Values Match. The quadrants represent the four possible combinations of high or low performance and high or low values match.
The Performance-Values Matrix
(High)
PERFORMANCE
High Performance and Low Values Match
High Performance and High Values Match
Low Performance and Low Values Match
Low