I have gained a lot of insight when it comes to identifying high-performing or successful
organizations over my time with this course. Prior to this course I thought that the most
important factor was just how much Money a company was able to bring in, With the other
factors coming in as secondary. I have learned that certain factors including the
organizational culture plays a much bigger role than I initially thought. One thing that I
learned when comparing company and company in our assignment is that the compatibility
of an organization has a lot to do with how the organization is run versus just looking at the
numbers. These factors can impact costs and can make it much more difficult to implement
change. Organizational alignment is something that I have grown a sense for and have been
on the lookout for when looking at the compatibility of organizations. I learned that these
factors could impact a company's future success and should be looked at carefully because
they tell a much more detailed story than the numbers do alone. The value of a proper
rewards system is something that I now understand because as a leader you must be able to
create a vision and set some long-term and short-term goals but ultimately your team must
believe in these goals for them to want to move towards them. I learned that one of the
most powerful tools is creating an environment where your team feels like the success of
the organization will directly impact their success. This will make an organization more
efficient and have a greater impact on their team with regards to reaching their goals.
As a leader I will be focusing heavily on impacting the organizational culture in a positive
aspect. I will bring the elements of financial, customer, internal, process, learning and
growth to the forefront of my leadership style to bring about the most out of my team. By
putting all these factors on paper, it will make it much clearer to identify and determine
strengths and opportunities for the organization. I will also take note of organizational long-
term vision when making the difficult decisions as a leader. When difficult decisions must
be made, I think that it is important to consider the long term and short-term implications of
that decision also by considering how it will impact the team members and their goals in
connection with the organizational goals. The organizational goals must be met but the
team members are the heart of the organization, and I will always consider these when
having to make a difficult decision regarding the team members salaries or benefits.
Certain performance factors that I will be looking at include looking at the financial
elements and internal process. The internal process is extremely important because it tells
you how efficiently an organization is running and allows you to see certain areas of
opportunity in the way it operates internally.
The parameters for identifying a high-performance organization have changed over the
course. Initially, the chief parameter that I gave high priority for measuring success were
financial performance, market share, and growth rate. However, other factors that are
equally important while identifying a successful or high-performing organization include
the morale and motivation of the employees and the satisfaction level of the organizational
personnel. Thus, apart from focusing on the financial parameter alone while measuring
organizational success, it is equally important to focus on the people factor. Varma has
argued that employee motivation and satisfaction can have a direct impact on the overall
performance of a business entity (Varma, 2017).
As a leader, some of the key performance factors that must be considered for developing a
high-performance team and organization include low employee turnover, high employee
satisfaction and engagement level among the organizational workforce. In the prevailing
business landscape, employees are one of the most instrumental factors of production that
help an organization to accomplish its goals and objectives. Thus, a leader must lay
emphasis on the organizational personnel since they can influence the profitability and
performance of a firm. In addition to this, the motivation level of the employees must also
be evaluated by a leader since motivated employees can help an organization showcase
improved performance in the dynamic market setting. Job engagement is another key
parameter that leaders need to emphasize upon. Shkoler has argued that employees’ job
engagement is regarded as one of the main performance indicators relating to human
resource management (HRM). It can impact their commitment towards their assigned work
and the value that they create for an organization by helping it to achieve its short-term as
well as long-term objectives. A leader needs to emphasize these aspects so that a high-
performance team or organization can be developed (Shkoler & Kimura, 2020).
I would say that my parameters for a successful company have changed through this
course. There are so many more aspects to look from HR departments to the employees in
customer facing roles. Success within a company or organization can be measured through
monetary success. I also believe that success should also be measured by the employee and
customer satisfaction. Employee satisfaction because we want our employees satisfied and
performing at the highest level possible. Customer satisfaction because for a company to be
successful we must be able to meet all our customers’ needs effectively. I believe the main
thing to measure a company’s success is how they perform in comparisons to their
competitors.
If I was the leader of the organization one of the main aspects, I would look at is the
performance of our employees. I would want to ensure that all employees have the skills
and knowledge needed to be successful within this industry. Also, as a leader I would want
to lead by example and have a hands-on approach to leading an organization. This will
effectively show everyone the expectations and goals that or organization is striving to
meet. I also believe that giving employees a certain freedom so they can effectively adapt
and meet the needs of customers in a changing industry.
The parameters of effective and efficient organizational leadership have stayed very
parallel over time. I have been honored to be a leader and a team member on many projects
throughout my business career. Credit must always be given to your team for minus the
team, you become a singular entity without a powerful voice. The goals must be clear,
concise, and have priorities towards the mission of the business. A leader must
communicate effectively and have the assembled team know exactly what is expected.
Prioritize assignments for your team, and respect for each person needs to be evident daily.
Successfully navigating change is the focal point that your team needs you to pilot your
way thru. I believe that the biggest gaffe that I have been making is not allowing failure to
be a positive aspect. My “perfectionist” attitude needs to take a back seat. I systematically
encourage my teams to augment their own capabilities, and this is an approach that I am
emphatically undertaking. The betterment of my business and personal attributes continues
forward and always need efficient sharpening. Become and remain a leader and an
empathic listener.
A high-performance team must always be positioned now and towards the future with their
leaders always determining the correct path to obtain. Leaders need to continually inspire
all team members to their best possible outcomes for each project. Managing work
assignments, respecting each other, sharing in the success of the team but relinquishing
credit and always looking for a greater avenue to attain success is a constant vision of an
effective leader. Employees need to be receptive to these efforts, and always look for
avenues of training, that will lead to personal and professional enrichment.
Motivation, a true feeling of accomplishment, open communication, honest leadership that
is engaged with their employees and upper management, is a foundation that needs to
always be strengthened. How business was “done in the past” is not one size fits all remedy
– the continued interchanging of methods and deliverables will become normalcy in the
workplace. Trends that all for improvement and attainment of the best possible outcome
will be embraced towards successful business leadership now and into the future.
My parameters for identifying high-performing/successful organization have changed over
the course. This is largely due to the amount I have learned over the past 10 weeks in
Measuring Success. As we dug into the balanced scorecard analysis and compared
Company A into Company B, it was clear to see the differences between the two
companies. Company A had a lot more structure (leadership/communication) then
Company B. Furthermore, it was easy to see the differences in business organization and
the effect leadership has on a business. People are going to have different ideas on the way
they deal with specific parameters in a business of organization. This is also related to the
mission, vision and values of a particular business/organization. In that, the behaviors and
actions needed to create a desired culture that supports strategic ambitions. Another key
component is the power of people changing, not organizations. For an organization and its
culture to change, the people in the organization must change. You can't expect the culture
to change unless you are willing to transform your vision/values. When people are
transparent, you begin to see integrity and trust wiggle its way into an organization,
building structure and culture.
As a leader, some of the most important trends and performance factors lead to a high-
performing team and organization. This can include having clear goals that are tied to the
team and organizational priorities. Communicating clearly and effectively so that all
members of the organization understand. Practicing business transparency and managing
work and deadlines based on priorities. Understanding how work aligns with organization
mission, vision and values its exceptionally important. In addition, setting SMART goals
and performing PESTEL/SWOT analysis are all good processes to follow. Teamwork is the
cornerstone to how work in an organization gets done, setting values in the internal and
external environments of an organization is crucial to its success.
Looking back at the week one discussion post I identified that my qualifications for success
meant that an organization was able to complete the goals that they had put in front of them. I
still think that is a good identifier of a high-performance organization, but that alone is not the
only parameter for success. I think that something that I did not take into consideration during
that first week is the effect that culture has on organizations. Because, if an organization is
able to meet all of its goals but it has a terrible culture that organization does not truly have a
strong foundation for which to build into the future on.
As a leader looking to the future, I think that a performance factor to keep a mind on is the
flexibility of the staff. I think that the lockdown was a good example of what I mean by this,
organizations that were not flexible about the new reality were not able to be successful during
that time period, whereas companies that were able to pivot and be flexible, for example
working from home, good containment procedures, the ability to pivot product to meet the
times, I have to imagine were able to navigate those challenges. I think that it showed that
what we believe to be the norm can get turned on its head almost instantly, so a good company
needs to be able to be flexible.
Have your parameters for identifying a high-performing or successful organization
changed over the course? Why or why not?
My original idea for professional success included the meeting of goals, whether small or
large. This idea was solidified throughout the course because Trans Global had very clear
SES goals the acquisition of Company A, Company B or both was essential based off what
it would take to align these organizations with these goals. How far off were they? Were
they capable, both resource and finance wise, to achieve said goals? Trans Global was not
only financially positive, but received great customer feedback, was able to maintain an
80% customer retention rate, focused on employees and focused on producing aircraft that
was better for the environment. Goals are everything. These were not only financial but
could appeal to customers and employees’ values as well. Given the ins and outs of each of
our assignments and how they were centered around goals, I certainly stand by my original
thought process of goal setting and achieving being conducive of a successful organization.
As a leader, what are some performance factors and future trends you will consider
for developing a high-performing team and organization?
One major performance factor I'll keep in mind going forward is that of putting my money
where my mouth is. For instance, Company B's new president was described as someone
who empowered employee creativity and was a visionary; however, that same president
partnered with a software firm by temporarily reducing employee salaries in order to fund
the partnership. That kind of behavior, to me, isn't the way to successfully develop a high
performing team or organization. While there will always be expenses paired with
initiatives, they should be carefully calculated. I do plan on focusing on values on
objectives outside of finances in order to illustrate how invested both myself (and my
potential company) are in terms of employee values, customer values and the planet.
Honestly, my parameters for identifying a high-performing or successful organization have
not changed much during the time of this course. In my first post I discussed a non-profit I
worked for and the executive director and how I watched a successful organization morph
into a declining organization that was losing support. I described the need for effective
leadership that was supportive of employees and community partners and actively
collaborated with other organizations, both government and private. I stand with the
concept that employees must feel appreciated and have some level of satisfaction in order
to maintain low turnover rates, keep up engagement, and encourage innovation and forward
thinking.
A leader is just that, a leader. We expect them to push the limits and make moves that push
for better production, better people, and a better planet no matter what the business
structure. Customer service is another major aspect of a successful business or
organization. Customers, clients, patients, whatever form of clientele that are served need
to feel like they are heard and accepted. I worked with a non-profit that served victims of
domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. With this population substance
abuse is quite common along with homelessness. The directors of the organization often
looked down on those who struggled with substance use, mental illness, and homelessness
which caused many potential clients to go unhelped. This made community partners quite
upset along with the employees of the organization. This same concept can be applied to
any business. You never know someone's background, income, life circumstances, likes,
and dislikes, or anything else. Customers are people just like those working for the
company, it is important to act like it.
Both areas do not look at income or any other revenue or sales numbers. A company needs
to be more concerned with employee satisfaction, customer service, and effective
partnership and collaboration.
Shkoler, O., & Kimura, T. (2020). How does work motivation impact employees’
investment at work and their job engagement? A moderated-moderation perspective
through an international lens. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 38.
Varma, C. (2017). Importance of employee motivation & job satisfaction for organizational
performance. International journal of social science & interdisciplinary research, 6(2).
Fachri, M., Paminto, A., & Effendi, A. S. (2021). Leadership, Organizational Culture, and
Quality of Human Resources towards Job Satisfaction and Performance. Technium Social
Sciences Journal, 18, 348–366.
