The Dynamics of High Performing Organizations

The Dynamics of High Performing Organizations

©2003, 2005 and 2009 by Resource Development Systems LLC All Rights Reserved Reprint Rights and Article Publication
If you would like to use this article or parts of this article in any form, then please contact us and we will be happy to work with you to accomplish your goal. We are also available for interviews regarding the Seven Elements of High Performance™ model. We are happy to discuss the inclusion of the Seven Elements of High Performance™ as part of a training program. Please contact us using the information at the end of this article explaining how you would like to use the model in your training program and we will be happy to discuss with you about the authorization for use of the model. Note: the US Navy’s Center for Naval Leadership is already utilizing our model in their leadership development programs with our permission.

This article is an updated version from our original article and our original model, which was first published in 2003. After additional research review, the final model, which is contained in this version of the article, was developed and published in 2005. This article was updated to reflect the new model in 2009.

For a more in-depth look at this model and how these Seven Elements help drive performance in organizations we invite you to read our new book Leadership Lessons From the Medicine Wheel: The Seven Elements of High Performance (ISBN 978-1-59932-111-0).

The Dynamics of High Performing Organizations
By Gary Lear, President and CEO Resource Development Systems LLC Over the past several years we’ve reviewed a considerable amount of research about what it takes for organizations to achieve high performance. There are an insurmountable number of studies out there, so we’ve confined most of our research to the larger scale studies conducted by some of the most reputable researchers. Our list includes the business schools at Harvard, Stanford, and Cornell, the Gallup

References: – Not all of the following are directly cited, but all have been used in the formulation of the ideas expressed in this article. This is not an exhaustive list, however, of all of the research reviewed in the development of the Seven Elements of High Performance™ model. A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management, John Kotter, 1990. The Free Press. A Journey Into the Heroic Environment, Rob Lebow, 1997. Prima Publishing. A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, Daniel H. Pink, 2005. Riverhead Books. Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why They Backfire and What to do Instead, Tom Coens and Mary Jenkins, 2000. Berrett-Koehler. Accountability: Freedom and Responsibility without Control, Rob Lebow and Randy Spitzer, 2002. BerrettKoehler. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, James Collins and Jerry Porras, 1997. Harper Business. Corporate Culture and Performance, John Kotter and James Heskett, 1992. The Free Press. Death by Meeting, Patrick Lencioni, 2004. Jossey-Bass. Driving Excellence: How the Aggregate System Turned Microchip Technology from a Failing Company to a Market Leader, Michael J. Jones and Steve Sanghi, 2006. John Wiley & Sons. Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute: The Essential Keys to Making Empowerment Work in Organizations Large and Small, Ken Blanchard, John P. Carlos and Alan Randolph, 1996. Berrett-Koehler. Executive Summary: The Integrity Dividend, Tony Simmons, 2000. Cornell University. First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, 1999. The Gallup Organization. Follow This Path: How the World’s Greatest Organizations Drive Growth by Unleashing Human Potential, Curt Coffman and Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina, 2002. The Gallup Organization. Full Steam Ahead!: Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Company and Your Life, Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner, 2003. Berrett-Koehler. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, James Collins, 2001. Harper Business. Gung Ho!: Turn on the People in Any Organization, Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, 1998. William Marrow and Company. Hidden Values: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People, Charles O’Reilly and Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2000. Harvard Business School Press. How Full Is your Bucket?: Positive Strategies for Work and Life, Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, 2004. Gallup Press. Innovation on Demand, Allen Fahden, 1993. The Illiterati. Insights on Leadership: Service, Stewardship, Spirit, and Servant-Leadership, Larry Spears, editor, 1998. John Wiley & Sons. Intrinsic Motivation at Work: Building Energy and Commitment, Kenneth Thomas, 2002. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do, John Kotter, 1999. Harvard Business Review. Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership®, Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigarmi and Drea Zigarmi, 1985. William Marrow and Company. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change 2nd Edition, William Bridges, 2003. Da Capo Press. ©2003, 2005, 2009 Resource Development Systems LLC Page 16 Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and other Bribes, Alfie Kohn, 1993. Houghton Mifflin. Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, 1993. William Marrow and Company. Rhythms of Learning: Patterns that Bridge Individuals and Organizations, David Cowan, Journal of Management Inquiry, Sept 95, Vol. 4, Issue 3. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power & Greatness, Robert Greenleaf, 1977. Paulist Press. Silos, Politics and Turf Wars, Patrick Lencioni, 2006. Jossey-Bass. Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, 2004. Harvard Business School Publishing. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, 1996. Harvard Business School Publishing. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni, 2002. Jossey-Bass. The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Patrick Lencioni, 2000. Jossey-Bass. The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy and Performance, Brian E. Bechker, Mark A. Huselid and Dave Ulrich, 2001. Harvard Business School Publishing. The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First, Jeffrey Pfeffer, 1998. Harvard Business School Publishing. The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner, 2002. Jossey-Bass. The One-Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams, Ken Blanchard Donald Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew, 1990. William Marrow and Company. The One Thing You Need to Know, Marcus Buckingham, 2005. Free Press. The Sacred Tree, 1985. Four Worlds International Institute for Human and Community Development. The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, Leigh Branham, 2005. AMACOM Books. The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, 2001. Harvard Business School Publishing. The 3 Keys to Empowerment: Release the Power Within People for Astonishing Results, Ken Blanchard, John P. Carlos and Alan Randolph, 1999. Berrett-Koehler. The Management Development Process, Keith Ayers, 2001 Integro Learning The War for Talent, Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones, and Beth Axelrod, 2001. Harvard Business School Publishing. Walking on the Wind: Cherokee Teachings for Harmony and Balance, Michael Garrett, 1998. Bear & Company. Whale Done!: The Power of Positive Relationships, Ken Blanchard, Thad Lacinak, Chuck Thompkins, and Jim Ballard, 2003. The Free Press. Why Pride Matters More than Money, Jon Katzenbach, 2003. Crown Business. Why the Bottom Line Isn’t: How to Build Value Through People and Organization, Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood, 2003. John Wiley & Sons. Winning, Jack Welch and Suzy Welch, 2005. HarperCollins Publishers. Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organization, Jon Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, 2003. Harper Press. ©2003, 2005, 2009 Resource Development Systems LLC Page 17