Value-Driven Performance Ethic

In our experience high-performance organizations tend to share a set of recurring management and leadership characteristics. While each organization may actually choose slightly different tools or implementation approaches, successful companies nevertheless tend to operate in very similar ways.

These recurring management and leadership characteristics have been captured in iTQP’s value-driven performance ethic. It has been derived from our extensive experience in assisting organization’s of all sizes and industries in improving their ability to deliver value to all their constituencies: Customers, employees, partners, and shareholders.

Our value-driven performance ethic can also be viewed as a performance manifesto for managers and leaders as a guide for their thinking and decision making.

In the final analysis, successful leaders realize that the true power of any organization lies trapped inside their companies. This is the power of the individual who, when properly challenged and given the tools to succeed, and provided an environment where they can be heard and where they have the safety to stretch and grow, is then free to fully express their capabilities and aspirations.

The essence of a value-driven performance ethic, and its true test, can best be seen in its ability to release this power—the value of the individual—from the confines of bureaucracy, status quo, and low expectations.

Strategic Thinking Energizes Entire Enterprise

Strategy and vision owned by business units Assumptions always challenged Deep understanding of industry Strong sense of what customers really need Objective view of competition Cold, analytical assessment of internal capabilities Laser-like focus on strategic choices

Talent and Intellectual Capital Drives Competitive Advantage

Information is a company asset to be shared and leveraged Learning and experimentation is embraced Best people in most demanding roles Ideas emerge from all levels of the organization Connectivity, dialogue, and inclusion is the norm

Shared Significance Maintains Eye On Ball

Merciless alignment on highest impact ideas Sincere commitment to each others’ success at all levels Frequent question: How does this advance our strategic objectives? Pervasive understanding of strategy and how processes and projects impact them Relentless search and destroy of obstacles and hindrances

Stretched By Aspirational, Fact-Based Goals

Targets pegged to best-in-class levels regardless of industry Simple, clear, balanced-scorecard style objectives Tightly connected to operating realities, and compensation and recognition plans Goals, strategies, processes, and projects all clearly linked Strong, localized accountabilities for fact-based performance and results

Value Delivered By Simple, Focused Business Processes

Process owners feel empowered Relentless pursuit of customer-defined quality Fueled by world-class competencies Relationship to vision-mission is straightforward Minimal corporate review, staff helps

Architectures Drive Decision-Making To Optimize Focus-Leverage Trade-Offs

Business and technology architectures mutually supportive Reusability is a religion Bias towards assemble versus build Tactical choices always influenced by architectural direction Focus versus leverage balance continually scrutinized Capabilities that are not strategic, competencies that are not distinctive, and processes that are not unique are outsourcing candidates

Enabled By Reliable, High-Performance Project Delivery

Absolute reverence for all commitments (target dates, costs) Expectation management is rigorous and customer-focused Frequent, incremental delivery of small, tangible, and useful work products Project management skills are nurtured and esteemed No surprises; risks preëmptively managed

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