High-performance organization is the new buzzword in every industry. It is not an option anymore but a must-have for survival. This necessity has given rise to several techniques that leaders can use to convert their organizations from mediocre to high performance entities. However, one critical loophole is that organizations often try to implement these techniques without adequate knowledge of their internal structures which ultimately leads to failure. 

High-performance is not a one-time goal it requires a long-term sustainable plan to carry on the performance. Becoming an HPO might not be the most stringent goal but sustaining the HPO status is. Though there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for this, HPO framework lays down a few ground rules for some key performance indicators. These indicators aid in sustaining the high-performance of an organization. 

Here are the five  key milestones to be crossed for an organization to attain sustainable high-performance:

1. Management quality

Management quality, especially with immediate managers, is an essential determinant of organizational performance. Managers with a sharp and clear set of ethics and values are the ones to bring in the integrity to their respective teams. Managers that act both as role models and colleagues are often the ones to drive high-performance teams which then go on to build high-performance organizations. 

2. Openness and action-oriented

High-performance oriented managers live by the open-door policy in the organization. They not only allow their employees to make mistakes by taking initiatives but are also open to criticism themselves. They show very low risk-averseness thus, making their employees feel secure to make mistakes and learn from them. HPO managers also know when to step in and take control and when to step out and let go off their guard. 

3. Long-term orientation

One of the toughest tasks for the organization is not just becoming a high-performance organization but also sustaining after becoming one. Hence, long-term commitment from all the stakeholders not only benefits the company but also all the participating parties. A long-retainer relationship is a mutually beneficial equation. 

4. Continuous improvement and renewal

High-performing organizations do not wait for the market to knock on their doors to make the improvements. Instead, they are internally driven to strive for continuous growth and development. This constant state of renewal is often the best competitive advantage an organization can have. The proactive approach, instead of a reactive method for improving business processes and products is the best way to build and sustain a high-performance organization. 

5. Employee quality

As HPOs are continually striving for growth, their employees are equally motivated in the same direction. This motivation is not entirely inherent to individuals and is often a result of excellent culture and autonomy to function. Diversity and inclusion, and encouragement to take risks and experiment is stable anchors to ensure a healthy organizational culture. 

Most of the factors mentioned above revolve around people. Hence, it is safe to say that the HPO framework was built on the belief that all the organizations are by the people and for the people entities. 

6. Diagnosis and evaluation

Diagnosis and debrief are the most crucial part of the high-performance organizational framework. Diagnosis can be conducted with awareness workshops and surveys with essential stakeholders of the organization. This process of letting people get acquainted with HPO framework helps the organization to build a strong base for driving performance. If this process involves conducting surveys, then it’s vital to convert factual data into stories so that they can be used as vision statements at regular intervals during the HPO journey. Monitoring and evaluation of all the HPO frameworks that are implemented is a necessary component for sustenance. 

One of the reasons that this generic framework has been referred to by multiple organizations is because it concentrates on ‘What’ instead of ‘How’. Once you have your ‘What’ in place the ‘How’ can be determined later. Also, the implementation of the HPO framework  is highly subjective and depends on every organization’s structure and performance drivers. Hence, this framework does not act as a manual with a set of rules; instead, it acts as a compass that shows the direction, not the entire map. The best way to utilize this framework is to mould it depending on your objectives and make your own variant to become a high-performance organization.