HR Directors’ Retreat: Creating and sustaining high-performing organisations
Our latest HR leaders’ retreat on creating and sustaining high-performing organisations began by Penny Tamkin (IES) reviewing the research on highperformance organisations. This précised a mass of research from the last 30 years exploring the relationship between people and organisational performance through the lens of asking ‘if there was a link, what would we expect to see’.
Penny Tamkin, Associate Director
Our latest HR leaders’ retreat on creating and sustaining high-performing organisations began by Penny Tamkin (IES) reviewing the research on highperformance organisations. This précised a mass of research from the last 30 years exploring the relationship between people and organisational performance through the lens of asking ‘if there was a link, what would we expect to see’. The evidence is strong on the link between skills and performance but also increasingly points to broader aspects of people management and how these are interpreted by employees. It is not enough to have good people management systems and processes in place, employees need to believe in the positive motivation of their employer.
The retreat then moved on to considering the role of organisational development (OD) in high performance via interactive contributions from Valerie Garrow (IES) and David Stephenson (Telefonica O2). Valerie explored the various approaches and models for OD, comparing and contrasting those that are highly deterministic and those that are organic and evolutionary. David used the lens of his experience in helping organisations transform themselves to reflect on some of the learning he has gained. Key thoughts centred on how you encourage what David called ‘the crazy ones’ (those people who have the off the wall ideas that can transform organisations or things), and how you tap into issues not normally on an organisational redesign model such as soul and brand, energy and engagement, social movement and viral change.
Given the timing of the retreat just prior to the London Olympic Games, a closing presentation by Michele Owens (Head of HR and Organisation Effectiveness at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)) about the ODA’s achievements was very timely. Michele spoke of the challenge facing the ODA in building the games, the values and HR strategy they created, and the initiatives that took place to embed them, such as communication, health and wellbeing, managing change. The achievements of the ODA have seemed all the more impressive after the main games.
On the second morning, still reeling from the brilliance of the magician at dinner the night before, people’s models of the world were further challenged by Wendy Hirsh questioning what we really mean by Talent Management. She suggested that it plays well in the boardroom and makes HR people feel strategic; however, HR functions are just confusing their clients (managers and staff) by over-complicated, poorly defined approaches and merely implementing new processes which add to the burden of managers without really getting to the root of what talent management should really be about. She suggested that for talent management to be effective it should focus on real current and future business issues, and fit the culture of the organisation and the kinds of people it employs. It should also be stitched into normal people management approaches (rather than being separate) and feels natural & doable to managers and employees. Wendy then went on to describe work that IES has been doing with Plan International using these criteria to develop a worldwide approach to talent management, the approach taken to develop the new way of working and initial learning points from the implementation.
David Smith, former People Director at ASDA and now consultant, mentor, speaker and author then shared his experience of building a high-performance culture at ASDA. Interspersed with stories about his experience he described the seven principles that, looking back, he recognises underpin the success at ASDA in building employee engagement and business performance. The principles included the importance of communication (and communication and communication) as well as listening to staff. He also talked about the fact that they moved to a model of hiring for attitude and trainingfor skill and threw out long and complex competency frameworks. This was then combined with removing underperformers (in a compassionate way) and pushing the high performers to achieve even more, but not using the forced ranking approach brought to prominence by GE. He also talked about the importance of recognition in a relatively low-paid environment and creating a buzz or sense of fun around the organisation. David’s book “Asda Magic – The 7 Principles of Building a High Performance Culture” is available from all good book stores!
Delegates then had the opportunity to reflect on the whole Retreat and consider what learning they were going to take back to their organisations. Participants enjoyed space and time to think and network. Creating and sustaining high-performing organisations offered a wide area for participants to explore what challenges they have and what these others were doing that they might try. We are now busy thinking of another theme that allows senior HR leaders to benefit from our research and the interesting practices of others.