Rethinking 'High-Performance' for your business and 5 tips to get it right

We were joined on our recent webinar by Julia Ingall, former CPeO at ManyPets, for a dynamic discussion on whether it's time to rethink "high performance." Here are the top 5 things we took away from the conversation.

The concept has long been hailed as the gold standard for businesses, yet in today’s fast-paced and complex world, it may be time for a fresh approach—one that moves beyond the cutthroat, results-at-all-costs mentality to something more sustainable - as Julia suggested: a thriving culture.

Some key takeaways from the session include:?

1. The new definition of high-performance: Is more than just aggressive ambition—it needs to combine collaboration, resilience, and a workplace where people can thrive. By reframing high performance as a "thriving culture," companies can focus on collective growth, trust, and long-term success.
2. Intentionality & context are critical: The importance of intentionally defining what a thriving culture means for your organisation was a big takeaway. While many businesses imitate the success formulas of Silicon Valley giants, the truth is that each company’s path to growth and high performance is unique. For a thriving culture to take root, leadership teams must align on values, set clear non-negotiables and take the time to ensure these align with the stage and phase of growth for the business.?

Key Questions to Consider Here:

• What does a thriving culture look like for your organisation?
• How do you want your people to feel and operate day-to-day?
• What are your cultural non-negotiables?

3. Trust and accountability are the foundation: A thriving culture can't exist without trust. Julia emphasised that leadership plays a critical role here—leaders need to follow through on promises and hold themselves and their teams accountable. Trust is built when employees feel safe to share their thoughts and leaders are transparent about expectations. Without this foundation, performance—and indeed culture—can quickly deteriorate.

4. Shifting from vision to everyday high-performance: The webinar also delved into practical ways to turn cultural vision into everyday reality. One of the standout suggestions was the idea of "re-onboarding" employees. This helps reinforce key cultural touchpoints and ensures that even long-tenured staff are aligned with evolving values and goals.

5. Balancing commerciality and compassion: Julia highlighted that many leaders feel they must choose between either pushing for results OR caring for their teams—but this is a false dichotomy. By focusing on both how performance is achieved and what is accomplished, businesses can foster environments where people are both productive and engaged. One suggestion was to decouple pay increases from performance rewards to recognise the "how" of performance more effectively—rewarding collaboration, teamwork, and behaviours that align with company values.

It Doesn’t Happen Overnight: The conversation concluded with the recognition that rethinking high performance is not an overnight change.?

Differing opinions in the leadership team and a lack of clear, consistent communication can be barriers. However, by being intentional, transparent, and consistent, organisations can begin the shift towards a culture where people thrive, perform, and grow together.