Professional Documents
Culture Documents
It
has
already
been
talked
a
lot
about
the
winds
of
changing,
the
impacts
on
the
entrepreneurial
environment
and
the
exponentiation
of
competition
worldwide.
Their
effects
on
a
great
variety
of
segments
have
also
been
shown
through
lists
of
companies
that
succumbed
to
bad
weather
in
a
market
under
continuous
mutation.
Whichever
the
sector
analyzed,
we
will
find
a
consolidation
process
and
increasing
difficulties
to
create
value
for
all
parts
involved.
But
if
on
one
hand
we
see
many
funerals,
on
the
other
extreme
and
not
at
reduced
proportions
we
find
some
oasis
of
high
performance,
which
at
first
sight
seem
immune
to
the
corporate
black
holes.
Management Elements Based
on
a
research
done
in
20041
about
the
management
elements
that
would
lead
a
company
to
high
performance,
it
has
been
noted
the
existence
of
a
way
founded
on
General
Administration
Theories
and
formed
from
management
elements
brought
to
light
from
the
subjects
of
Business
Administration,
which
require
knowledge
and
discipline
of
application
and
execution.
There
have
been
found
eleven
management
elements
that
are
present
in
Figure
I
as
shown
here
and
they
are
related
among
them
by
being
mutually
supported.
by
Luiz
Otavio
da
Silva
Nascimento
nd
Figure I Management Elements for High Performance They drive companies to high performance and they have been researched on a marketing case study held in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, having been identified those of higher impact on results achieved. Upon trying seeking for the origins of these management elements, it has been found the space where all these elements would be contained. Three big axes define such space, namely: Culture, People and Managerial Systems. This idea is demonstrated in Figure II. Therefore, these axes have been named Roots for High Performance. The way of matching and dealing with them is what will generate fruits as being the management elements, which, then, together might offer the nectar for high performance. The metaphor of a fruitful tree can be used in this case.
Figure II The Three Big Axes The Roots for High Performance
2
The axis of the Managerial Systems comes from the Classical Administration Theory and from the Scientific Administration. The basic functions of the Administrator are contained in it, as Fayol said, even the current processes as Strategic Planning, for instance, including Partnerships and Organizational Learning. The People axis covers the entire People/Staff Management / Human Resources, Human Capital Management and Competences, whereas the Culture axis refers to social knowledge systems, ideology, value, law, daily rituals, beliefs and company practices. The management elements for high performance can own co-ordinates on each axis at rates which change according to the company, being consisting and mutually related.
Figure III The Alignment Among The Three Axes and The Management Elements
Cowen
and
Osborne
(2002)2
refer
to
such
conclusion.
Guild
et.
al.
(2001,
p.10)3
believe
that
the
ability
to
generate
high
performance
is
an
organizational
competence
which
can
be
learned.
Learning
to
align
the
roots,
the
big
axes,
with
the
management
elements
are
what
may
make
high
performance,
as
seen
in
Figure
III.
However,
alignment
2
COWEN,
Scott
S.;
OSBORNE,
Richard
L.;
High-Performance
Companies:
The
Distinguishing
Profile;
Management
Decision
Volume
40
Number
3;
MCB
University
Press,
2002.
3
GUILD, Robert; GUILD, Will; MUNDY, Ron; OWEN, Keith; Creating and Sustaining the High Performance
Organization; Managing Service Quality, Volume 11 Number 1; MCB University Press, 2001, pp 10 -21.
is
a
dynamic
management
activity,
as
the
entrepreneurial
scenery
is
daily
modified
upon
demanding
that
the
companys
leaders
check
their
management
elements
and
the
consistency
among
them
by
also
watching
the
three
big
axes
and
defining
priority
importance
for
high
performance.
Leadership Among
the
elements
put,
it
must
be
emphasized
Leadership.
In
companies
with
high-performance
characteristics,
leaders
have
two
basic
functions:
1)
to
achieve
results
through
happy
people;
and
2)
to
build
the
future
of
their
companies
without
letting
to
do
today,
because
there
will
not
be
tomorrow
if
their
companies
do
not
have lunch
every
day.
In
many
companies,
leaders
are
complacent
and
they
become
like
excuse
performers
on
presenting
negative
outcomes
blaming
the
market
or
the
government
action
or
its
absence.
But,
they
have
not
been
hired
to
do
that.
Successful
companies
are
the
ones
that
have
executives,
who
use
their
intelligence
and
capacity
to
change
reality
so
that
they
may
get
bigger
and
better
achievements.
In
brief,
the
true
leader
must
say
why
he
came.
In
order
to
better
explain
that,
it
has
been
built
the
following
anagram:
I CAME
The letter C stands for Communication, which is the main tool of a leader. In general, leaders of companies with high-performance characteristics are excellent communicators and they use this instrument to develop a robust inner channel to spread 5 important concepts. When someone talks about communication what usually comes from his or her mind is that concept of communication companies adopt to conquer customers. That one, generally, is brief, well designed, original and attractive, being repeated thoroughly to enter into their customers minds. But, these companies make their inner communication
amateurishly; it is very often in the corridor. The leader passes on an important message only once, en passant, and he believes it is totally understood by all his/her co-workers. Leaders of companies with high-performance characteristics devote time to build inner communication and they do it professionally. The first concept that leaders communicate is, in fact, the practice of Principles & Values of their companies by offering their own personal examples and thus, forming apostles to disseminate them. Understanding the organization Principles & Values the company beliefs frees his/her co-workers to act. The second concept to be transmitted is what to do, that is, the strategy. Everyone in a company must know the strategic orientation, which must be summarized, to be broadly and repeatedly informed. Co-workers must know where the company is being oriented to and how they can engage. The next concept is how to do it, that is, the processes. The processes have the capacity of simplifying a company. They make possible knowledge and development abilities by allowing co-workers training and also on enterprising programs of continuous improvement. Companies with high-performance characteristics have processes for everything. They seek ceaseless for the best existing practices in marketplace. They apply solutions, which incorporate these practices and which are always up-to-date, by searching for differential competitive advantages. The fourth concept to be communicated is the coaching work, which starts with a personal example, upon adopting a model that spread the companys culture through the apostles. The leader acts demonstrating clear understanding and respect for the co- workers, being available to guide them professionally and personally, presenting tools and not imposing them solutions. It is worth remembering an English saying: walk what you talk! Finally, communication must be used to make people evolve throughout a system of constant feedback. All co-workers must know how their outcomes are perceived and confronted in order to keep them and improve them. There is not anything more powerful than a positive feedback and nothing is more destructive than a negative feedback.
The letter A from our anagram means Alignment. Because, to achieve their company goals, the leaders will need to align different management elements, specially; strategy, structure and culture. One of the main tools they own is management for competences, which based on the necessary competence analysis to succeed in their markets leaders might choose either developing such competences internally or acquiring them from the market to speed up the experience curve. The following letter is M of Metrics. Deming has asserted: You cant manage what you cant measure, you cant measure what cant be defined, you cant define what you cant understand, and there is no success in what cant be managed. At medium level companies, usually, co-workers do not have indicators and they refer to their goal reaching by using adjectives. How are sales doing? Theyre good! But what is good for these co-workers and their companies? Companies with high-performance characteristics have indicators for every activity and every process. The indicators give a clear visualization of the goals achieved or not, they allow a fast action to eliminate any eventual non-conformity. The other letter of the anagram is E of Execution. About it, Theodore Levitt has said: Many people with good ideas have a particular notion that their tasks end when the assignments are presented; they believe it concerns someone else to elaborate the unpleasant details and after they will improve the purposes. Considering that business is an institution where you must HAVE THINGS DONE, creativity without an oriented feedback to action is a non-productive way of behavior. To execute is the true work of a companys Leader and not only elaborate a vision and let the others do the task by making it come true. In a company, nothing happens spontaneously. Either you make them happen or things simply remain the way they are! High performance leaders follow personally the execution. The sentence they say the most is: let me see it!
The last letter of the anagram is I of Innovation. In a marketplace in continuous mutation, risk and innovation are known as needs by companies with high- performance characteristics. These companies do not use technology as the main road to drive a change. They do not incorporate the latest entrepreneurial fashions, but on the contrary they are pioneers in applying technologies that are carefully selected. Innovation must be pragmatic, i.e., it must create value for the customers and results for the company. About it Drucker has mentioned: Innovation is not invention neither discovery. It may require either of them very often it does, but its main focus is not knowledge, but performance at a company that means economic performance. One example that illustrates it comes from the auto industry where occurred a launching of a new car whose doors opened for the upside, alluding to the wings of a butterfly. Such innovation was a failure from the companys opinion, which launched it, and from the customers point of view as well. Whereas, the innovation of cars made with flex engines, that is; which work ethanol and gasoline and or gas, is a success from any perspective. Together with the anagram mentioned, the study has demonstrated that the leaders profile from high performance companies is a non charismatic executive, though, an assertive one, who gives his/her personal example, owning systemic vision and constancy of purposes. He/she has emotional intelligence. He/she is reliable, visionary, he/she motives people through his/her clarifications and he/she provides feedbacks of performance. The success patterns are clear for everybody as well as the rewards. He/she maximizes commitments towards the companys objectives and strategies. He/she fits the individual task within a big vision. He/she determines the end; however he/she gives people space enough for action so that they may develop their own means. He/she gives them freedom to innovate, experiment and take measured risks. The leaders main role is to build up an organization and for that he/she uses the communication to transmit its principles & values, strategies, processes, planning and results by guiding and developing people, and promoting an innovation culture.
As
previous
mentioned
here,
the
leader
of
a
high
performance
company
has
two
fundamental
functions:
to
get
results
through
happy
people
and
to
build
his
companys
future,
but
always
remembering
that
it
wont
exist
future
if
his
organization
dont
have lunch
every
day.
Luiz Otavio da Silva Nascimento.
Master
in
Business
Administration
(UFRGS
-
Brazil),
specialization
in
Marketing
(FGV
-
Brazil)
and
General
Management
(Emerging
Leader
Program
-
Darden
Business
School
of
the
University
of
Virginia
USA
and
Lcole
des
Hautes
Etudes
Commerciales
HEC
of
Paris
-
France).
He
has
a
25
year
professional
experience
in
management
retail
and
consumer
good
companies,
like
Perrier,
Owens-Illinois,
Lojas
Renner
and
Diadora.
Currentley,
he
is
consultant
and
counselor.
Author
of
the
books
Gestor Eficaz prticas para se destacar num ambiente empresarial competitive
(Effective
Manager
practices
to
be
succeeded
in
a
competitive
business
environment),
xodo da Viso Ao Uma Proposta para o Varejo Brasileiro
(Exodus
From
Vision
to
Action
A
Proposal
for
the
Brazilian
Retailing
Market)
and
co-author
of
the
book
Administrao de Empresas Comerciais
(Administration
of
Commercial
Companies).
Professor
of
MBA
courses
at
Laureate
Universities
in
Brazil
(Anhembi-Morumbi
and
Business
School
So
Paulo).