How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? A three-pronged approach targeting all levels of the organization Brochure / report title goes here How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Introduction Introduction A high performing organization is the Holy Grail. Seventy-nine percent of executives rate performance management as a top priority1, 79% an organization where team members, team leaders, and organizational leaders run like a finely tuned engine in a high-performance sports car. But how do you best tune the behaviors, of executives habits, and actions to accelerate performance? rate performance Organizational culture defines the values and behaviors that shape how an organization turns management as strategy into operational reality2. Additionally, a top priority1. adopting a performance management approach that encourages action, reinforces appropriate behaviors, and enables honest dialogue at all levels, can positively reinforce the organization’s culture. So how does an organization change behaviors to accelerate performance? It begins with a three-pronged approach, affecting all levels of the organization—team leaders, team members, and organizational leaders. 2 3 How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Team Leaders – ‘the ground level’ How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Team Members – ‘the driving force’ Team members – ‘the driving force’ In addition to demanding Team members are not just on the receiving end of the honest and ongoing positive behaviors like coaching, autonomy, recognition, dialogue that sits at the and a focus on accelerating performance; in many heart of high-performing ways, they are the driving force behind these changes organizations, team in organizations6. members want to see these conversations Team members, now exposed to a vast translate to professional development array of personal and professional social opportunities, which employees under translate to professional media tools, expect to both give and receive the age of 25 consider the top driver of development opportunities, feedback in ongoing and organic ways. When engagement7. This emphasis on growth and organizations recognize this expectation development opportunities is spurring more which employees under the and respond accordingly, they not only and more organizations to consider their age of 25 consider the top demonstrate an investment in their people, ability to facilitate talent mobility, and has they begin to develop a new generation of organizational leaders considering new ways driver for engagement. team leaders whose professional experience to emphasize the importance of learning Team leaders – prepares them to be natural coaches for and development experiences. team members, peers, and leaders. In addition to demanding the honest and ‘the ground level’ ongoing dialogue that sits at the heart of high-performing organizations, team members want to see these conversations For many organizations interested in having a culture These team leaders inclusive of ongoing performance coaching, the journey understand the need begins with team leaders – the ‘ground-level’ leaders to set clear goals and closest to team members’ work. expectations of their teams, to revisit them frequently, and to allow their teams Team leaders drive the notion of ongoing performance in real time, when candid the autonomy to work improvement by looking at individual conversations have the greatest impact for 3 and team performance not as an annual team members. Finally, team leaders who against them . administrative task, but as a part of their operate as performance coaches make daily rhythm, much like the coach of an it their job to know their team members’ athletic team who consistently provides interests, improvement areas, and career real-time coaching to their athletes. goals and they offer team members These team leaders understand the need projects and stretch roles that support to set clear goals and expectations of their development. Beyond improving their teams, to revisit them frequently, performance at the individual and team and to allow their teams the autonomy levels, this team leader-to-coach paradigm to work against them3. They understand shift is driving a broader culture change the importance of recognizing great that is already showing increases in team performance and addressing poor member engagement4 and business results5. 4 5 How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Organizational leaders – ‘the role-models’ How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate Brochureperformance? / report | Organizational title goes here leaders | Section – ‘the title role-models’ goes here Organizational leaders – ‘the role-models’ Storytelling is a By definition, team members and team leaders “look up” to the organization’s leaders to see if they are role modeling powerful tool in shifting a the behaviors aligned to the organization’s culture. culture and organizational First and foremost, organizational leaders tool in shifting a culture and organizational should be involved in shaping the desired leaders have an opportunity to help embed culture and the performance management the change through sharing personal leaders have an program that supports it. Organizational insights, triumphs, and lessons learned leaders’ actions are a powerful force in as they exercise the new behaviors. shaping culture8. In fact, there is an old opportunity to help embed adage that supports this concept and that is Changing behaviors to accelerate “your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear performance happens at all levels of the what you are saying”. Perceptive leaders organization—with team leaders, team the change through understand that culture change can take members, and organizational leaders. years, so they need to adopt new practices An organizational culture that promotes a as a part of an ongoing organizational sense of pride, courageous behavior, and sharing personal insights, journey, and consistently be that model for inclusivity at all levels can establish the workforce. a foundation for accelerated performance to take hold. In this type of environment, triumphs, and lessons The C-Suite plays a vital role in helping performance management can become team leaders become full-time performance less of an annual process and more coaches versus part-time evaluators. woven into the fabric of the organizational learned as they exercise Investing in leadership development culture. Organizations that implement practices that build the coaching muscle in tools to measure and monitor culture and senior, middle, and front line team leaders engagement on an ongoing basis help the new behaviors. demonstrates commitment to building reinforce the commitment to the change. a high-performing culture focused on Additionally, implementing feedback engaging and motivating team members. mechanisms at a more micro-level, such as Additionally, implementing processes team ‘pulsing’ tools or individual check-ins that increase discipline on coaching and and team leader effectiveness surveys, ongoing feedback can help foster these can provide individual insights to how coaching behaviors and hold team leaders employees are responding and operating accountable for practicing them regularly. in a high-performance environment. Lastly, role modeling the behavior as an These tools and feedback mechanisms organizational leader and becoming help encourage the long-term sustainability full-time performance coaches themselves of new behaviors and are an important can cast a powerful leadership shadow component to finely tuning an organization’s and produce ripple effects that spur direct performance engine. However, beyond reports to demonstrate these behaviors any tool, the most powerful ingredient for with their own teams. In attempting to success is the organization’s willingness develop a high performing and engaged and appetite to make the change a priority, culture, organizational leaders should embody the change at all levels of the seize opportunities where they can be out organization, and encourage forward front sharing stories of how coaching is momentum through measurement, influencing performance and engagement feedback, and monitoring. with their teams. Storytelling is a powerful 6 7 How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Organizational leaders – ‘the role-models’ How do you change behaviors in an organization to accelerate performance? | Endnotes What are the behavioral hallmarks of an innovative performance model? Endnotes Team leaders 1. Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report; Performance Management: Playing a Winning Hand, 2017 Annual performance Weekly/bi-weekly discussions performance discussions 2. Take Your Corporate Culture Off Cruise Control, A. Abbatiello, S. Chheng, M. Kaplan 2016 3. Becoming Irresistible: A New Model for Employee Engagement, J. Bersin, 2015 4. Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report; Performance Management: Playing a Winning Hand, 2017 Long-term goals, revisited Short-term goals set 5. High Impact Performance Management: Maximizing Performance Coaching, Bersin by Deloitte, 2011 1-2 times per year and revisited often 6. Becoming Irresistible: A New Model for Employee Engagement, J. Bersin, 2015 7. Becoming Irresistible: A New Model for Employee Engagement, J. Bersin, 2015 Ad hoc performance Check-ins are 8. Take Your