There are two key strategies that will impact productivity: task focused interventions and people focused interventions. By Neil McGregor.
Productivity generally refers to the measure of efficiency in converting inputs into useful outputs. Enhancing productivity is about achieving more output with the same or fewer resources. Basic stuff, right?
Productivity can be applied to various contexts: At an individual level it relates to how efficiently an individual completes tasks or achieves goals within a given timeframe. At a team level it relates to how well individuals collaborate and coordinate their efforts to produce something greater than their individual effort is capable of (synergy).
At an organisational level it’s about how teams coordinate their efforts to produce goods and services that are relevant and useful to customers thus ensuring the organisation becomes and remains economically viable.
There are two key strategies that will impact productivity: task focused interventions and people focused interventions.
The task focused interventions typically involve the introduction of new technologies, tools, processes and workflow redesign. Most leaders and workers understand the task focused approach as it is the most tangible and the most common strategy.
People focused interventions impact upon the environment in which organisational members are required to work and can include communication strategies, empowerment and involvement approaches, the way approaches are reinforced and most Importantly, the way people are led.
Fundamentally we are talking about organisational culture, and it’s important because organisational culture implements your strategy – whether you like it or not.
Three basic organisational cultures
There are three basic organisational cultures that dominate organisations, and they will implement your strategy with very different outcomes. At Human Synergistics we call these cultures Passive Defensive, Aggressive Defensive, and Constructive.
Neil McGregor
Passive Defensive Cultures. A dominant passive organisational culture is characterised by a lack of initiative, minimal engagement, resistance to change, and a tendency to adhere to existing norms without questioning them. These cultures fail to innovate and struggle to remain relevant. This leads to low motivation, limited accountability, risk aversion, and challenges in effective communication and adaptation.
“They have poor problem solving as members avoid challenges they see as opportunities for them to fail…”
Any implementation of a strategy by a passive culture will be largely ineffective. The implementation will have reduced initiative while employees wait for direction, resist change as they are reluctant to adopt risky new approaches, and have poor problem solving as members avoid challenges they see as opportunities for them to fail.
There will also be limited accountability and a lack of ownership as members of the organisation reduce their personal risk profiles, and innovation and building upon the ideas of the strategy will not happen, and customers will be seldom considered.
Aggressive Defensive Cultures. An aggressive organisational culture is highly competitive and results-driven, characterised by high internally focused competition where everyone is focused on outperforming others. (This typically has little to do with serving customers well).
Reward and punishment: incentives for high achievers and penalties for underperformance with a low tolerance for failure and little room for mistakes, but at the same time an appetite for ill-considered risk and bold decisions without rigour.
“This will also lead to internal conflicts, high stress and employee burnout…”
Any strategy implementation will be impacted by driving quick execution and fostering innovation through bold decision-making and high competition. However, this will also lead to internal conflicts, high stress and employee burnout, potentially hindering collaboration and a focus on long-term strategic goals.
The focus on immediate results and low tolerance for failure can stifle creativity and experimentation, while strong incentive structures motivate employees but may create a cut-throat environment. Overall, the aggressive culture can lead to rapid but potentially unsustainable strategy implementation that may not be customer focused.
Constructive Cultures. A constructive organisational culture fosters a positive and supportive environment, emphasising collaboration, personal growth and mutual respect.
It encourages teamwork, open communication and continuous learning, while empowering employees to take initiative and make decisions. Positive reinforcement and recognition are used to motivate employees, and work-life balance is supported.
This culture promotes high levels of engagement, job satisfaction and productivity, leading to sustainable success and a positive work atmosphere.
A constructive culture positively impacts strategy implementation by fostering collaboration and open communication, which ensures alignment and understanding of strategic goals across the organisation.
It encourages employee engagement and motivation, leading to proactive participation in executing the strategy. The focus on personal growth and continuous learning equips employees with the skills and knowledge needed to adapt and innovate, enhancing the effectiveness of the strategy.
Empowerment and respect for diverse perspectives enable creative problem-solving and effective decision-making. Overall, a constructive culture supports a cohesive, motivated, and capable workforce, driving successful and sustainable strategy implementation that is customer focused.
“Constructive companies often fly below the radar. Their fastidious focus on their customers generates great returns…”
Constructive companies often fly below the radar. Their fastidious focus on their customers generates great returns. Firms of Endearment is project of companies who meet the definition of constructive cultures. Comparing their results to other benchmarks makes interesting reading. Ultimately productivity can be measured through results, and the results speak for themselves.
Over the next year in a series of articles Human Synergistics will ‘dig in’ to the detail of what a constructive culture is, what it isn’t, and how you can grow and develop your organisation to become more constructive and enjoy the sustainable performance that comes with that achievement.
Neil McGregor is the Lead Consultant at Human Synergistics New Zealand. He has been helping individuals, teams, and organisations realise their full potential for over 20 years with HSNZ. His consulting approach focuses on challenging people to think differently about themselves and their environments to be more effective.
