A high performance culture is a culture where the standout culture traits are can do spirit, pride in doing things right, no-excuses accountability, and a pervasive result oriented work climate where people go to the extra mile to meet or beat stretch objectives. In a high performance culture there is strong sense of involvement from the part of the company employees and emphasis on individual initiative and creativity. Performance expectations are clearly delineated for the company as a whole, for each organizational unit, and for each individual. Issues are promptly addressed- a strong bias for being proactive instead of reactive exists. Focus on what needs to be done, the culture is permeated with a spirit of achievement and has a good track in meeting or beating performance targets.
Most important characteristics of high performance culture are;
- A clear line of sight exists between the strategic aims of the authority and those of its departments and its staff at all levels.
- Management defines what it requires in the shape of performance improvements, sets goals for success and monitors performance to ensure that the goals are achieved.
- Leadership from the top which engenders a shared belief in the importance of continuing improvement.
- Focus on promoting positive attitudes that result in a committed and motivated workforce.
- Performance management process aligned to the authority’s objectives to ensure that people are engaged in achieving agreed goals and standards.
- Capacities of people developed through learning at all levels to support performance improvement.
- People provided with opportunities to make full use of their skills and abilities.
Mini Case Study: Corporate Culture at Google
The corporate culture in Google is an open relationship culture, whether it is between the workforce and the administration, or between the employees themselves. Google has managed to create an environment that make the employees engage not only in the activities of the company, but also some leisure free time activities. The company makes sure that the employees are happy and there is a small family like feeling in the company, as all of them gather and sit in the same cafe where they sit together, all of them from various departments. Organizationally, Google maintains a casual and democratic atmosphere, resulting in its distinction as a “Flat” company. The company does not boast a large middle management, and upper management is so hands on, it’s hard to qualify them in a separate category. Teams are made up of members with equal authority and a certain level of autonomy is maintained, and the employees are encouraged to propose wild, ambitious ideas often. The employees consist of various nationalities, with people from all around the world working in their offices around world. The transparency policy practiced by the management is something that encourages people to do a better job, with the hiring process been done in a non-discriminatory way, which ensures the rights of all the employees.