How to cultivate a high performance culture

In June 2022, the South African Women's soccer team won their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations. When one of the players was interviewed, she stated, “This was our goal. We as a team decided this is where we want to be, and we want to win it for South Africa." This response certainly highlights one of the attributes of high performing teams. High performing teams however do not exist outside the culture and the environment in which they operate. Organisations need to create environments that cultivate high performance. 

What makes a high performance culture

Culture can be simply defined as "the way we do things". How an organisation does things is what defines its culture. Culture also refers to a composition of values, beliefs, attitudes and customs that define an organisation, it is the personality of the organisation. 

​Most high performing teams can be characterised in one of the following ways: 
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• ​They have a shared / common vision - not only do they share a common vision, but they are all aligned and have fully bought into the vision. This is critical as it sets the tone for the entire team, it determines the attitudes and behaviours of the teams. 

 

• They are dedicated to the vision - Being dedicated to the vision of the organisation stems from teams understanding their purpose within the organisation, as well as the alignment of their own purpose to the organisational purpose. 

 

• They are empowered to make decisions  - Teams need to be empowered to make decisions, and also encouraged to own their decisions. In doing so, organisations can create a culture that fosters accountability rather than the "I just work here" disempowered attitude. 

 

• They have a high level of collaboration - An organisation and its teams cannot thrive and become high performing if the culture is that of siloed thinking. High performing teams fully grasp how collaboration is an effective method for teams to thrive. 

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• They embrace agility - the environment in which teams operate is constantly changing. To succeed and thrive in this ever-changing environment, high performing teams acknowledge that change is inevitable, and that they always need to be prepared to change course should the need arise. 

How to create a high performance culture

Encourage Open, Honest and Respectful Communication 

​A critical aspect to creating and nurturing a high performance culture is open and clear communication. Communication comes in many ways, but starts from clearly communicating the vision of the organisation to all levels of the organisation. It also includes opening up opportunities to receive feedback and to provide ongoing feedback.  


Align personal purpose to the organisation's purpose 

For an organisation to create a high performance culture, its employees need to know and see how their personal purpose and vision are connected to those of the organisation. When employees and teams are clear on how their own purpose is aligned to that of the organisation, they become more proactive, engaged and productive. 

Create a culture of inclusivity 

Every employee need to know that the organisation they work for values their individuality. Employees spend most of their time in their workplaces, hence organisations must strive to create inclusive cultures. Belonging has become an important factor for employees in deciding whether or not to stay within an organisation. Organisations can reduce high employee turnover rates through enabling and creating a culture of inclusivity. 

Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities 
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Alignment to the vision of the organisations is an important step in creating a high performing culture. However, alignment alone will not achieve the desired outcome. Each employee within the organisation needs to be clear on their roles and responsibilities, and how these impact on the bigger picture of the organisation, on their own goals, as well as those of the teams within which they operate. 

​Encourage Innovation, Celebrate successes and recognise contributions

To cultivate high performance culture, organisations need to encourage their employees to bravely innovate. This means creating a safe space for new ideas to be tabled and tested, for mistakes to be made without being penalised. Organisations however need to effectively balance this, through celebrating the successes, but also learning from some of the mistakes made.  

A high performance culture is not easy to create, but has many benefits. Organisations can benefit from an engaged, motivated and inspired workforce, resulting in positive results for the organisation. Consult with us to find out more about how your organisation can cultivate a high performing culture. 

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