Five Keys To Building A High-Performance Organization

A recent Gartner review , published in Business Performance Management Magazine, of the practices of successful companies in a variety of industries reveals five characteristics that are key to success. Emulating these organizations requires a focus on performance management.

High-performance organizations (HPOs) seem to understand the market earlier and more thoroughly than other businesses, retain the best staff members, and have less trouble responding to external pressures.

Gartner analysts found that HPOs share five characteristics:

1. They set ambitious targets and consistently and continuously achieve those objectives.
2. They display a strong sense of purpose through shared values both inside (among employees) and outside the organization (among customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders).
3. They have a strategic focus and alignment so that employees know how they are contributing to the results of the organization.
4. They have the agility to adapt to changing circumstances quickly.
5. And, finally, they have a common and shared business model throughout the organization

(In a former life, I managed industry analyst relations for Microsoft. One of the analyst firms I worked with, and found of value from -- was Gartner Group.)