Why it’s a great idea

High Performance cultures aren’t accidental — they’re deliberately crafted to ensure long-term success, giving businesses a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving world. Designing a high-performing culture drives growth, innovation, and resilience by aligning employee purpose with your business goals. In fact, McKinsey research confirms that 70% of executives see culture as critical for innovation. Engaged employees are 21% more productive, and companies with strong cultures experience 4x revenue growth and 2.3x higher stock returns. Examples like Microsoft under Satya Nadella show how a shift toward learning and empowerment can transform a business, while Salesforce’s people-first approach has attracted and retained top talent globally.

Purposeful cultures further boost alignment and retention, with purpose-driven companies 3.3x more likely to retain employees. Unilever exemplifies this by integrating sustainability into its strategy, achieving growth while positively impacting society.

To design a high-performing culture, organisations should articulate clear visions, empower leaders, foster inclusivity, and use data to measure and refine efforts.

The difference we can make

We follow a proven 10 Key Step process.

1. Assess the Current Culture

Conduct 2 surveys, based on Ed Schein’s culture model - one assessing cultural beliefs and another on values - to understand existing cultural strengths and gaps.

2. Have a follow up debrief for the leaders/stakeholders

Debrief the data to initially understand and engage the principal stakeholders.

3. Conduct our minimum 2-day High Performance Culture workshop with an empowered mandated culture committee/steering group

Fully understand the behaviour within the business. Here we also facilitate the culture group through the Johnson and Scholes model (Untangling the cultural web) to decipher how the beliefs and values currently show up. This enables revised values to be set and accurately described, based on the data and your direction in terms of what the people desire, your direction and strategy.

Create a new culture shaping strategy. Create a roadmap.

4. Reshare or reiterate define/shaped Purpose, Vision, and Values and integrated business strategy with an agreed roadmap

Articulate values that resonate across the organisation.

Ensure leadership and management consistently models these values.

5. Set Tangible Goals

Define specific, measurable outcomes tied to culture, such as employee engagement scores, innovation metrics, or turnover rates.

6. Engage Leadership and managers

Train and empower leaders and managers to champion the desired culture.

Encourage accountability at every level of leadership.

7. Foster Inclusion and Psychological Safety

Build a culture where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and employees feel safe to voice ideas or concerns.

Regularly assess DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practices if necessary.

8. Embed Culture in Processes

Align hiring, onboarding, performance management, and rewards with cultural values.

Reinforce desired behaviours through recognition and incentives.

9. Communicate Transparently and Regularly

Have a clear comms plan for your relevant stakeholders and audiences. Use clear, consistent messaging to keep employees informed and aligned with cultural goals.

10. Measure, Adapt, and Improve

Track cultural health through regular surveys, KPIs, and feedback loops.

Be prepared to iterate based on outcomes and feedback.