Why a High Performance through Engagement HPtE Strategy®?

A High Performance through Engagement Strategy starts from the premise that in order to achieve sustainable high performance in any organisation we must satisfy three necessary conditions:

• Commercial Responsibility.

• Consumer satisfaction.

• A safe, secure and satisfying environment for the people doing the work. In other words a constructive Culture.

These are often referred to as the three C’s. Each of these three C’s are interdependent on each other.

In order to achieve Commercial Responsibility it is necessary to both satisfy the market through continuous improvement to Consumer value and provide security and satisfaction for the people doing the work (Culture). Without satisfying Consumers and looking after the people who do the work you are unlikely to make money or, if you are a not for profit, maintain your funding.

If your primary focus is on satisfying Customers through continuous improvement you will need to maintain Commercial responsibility to fund that improvement. You will also need to look after the people doing the work. If the people who do the work do not have a safe, secure and satisfying environment the level of service your customers get will be poor.

If the primary focus is on providing security and satisfaction to the people doing the work then the organisation needs to be Commercially responsible to continue providing that security. Employee satisfaction comes from doing work that is valued. Customer satisfaction is therefore also a key driver of employee satisfaction.

It is easy to see that each of the three C’s, Commercial, Customer and Culture are dependent of each other.

When each of these dependent conditions are in synergy with each other they from a foundation. That synergy and foundation is a necessary condition for sustainable high performance.

Sustainable high performance is the hall mark of a high performance organisation.

(Slide from an "An Introduction to the HPtE Strategy™ Framework")

It is worth noting at this point that a High Performance through Engagement Strategy has the goal of achieving sustainable high performance.  This is a long term strategy.  Many organisations through the industrial age focused on gaining a commercial return with little focus on the Customer or the safety, security and satisfaction of the people in the organisation.  The term "Human Resources" came from this era.  The Union movement was also born in this time.  For the past two decades many organisations have begun to pay attention to both Commercial returns and continuous improvement to Customer value but paid little attention to the safety, security and satisfaction of their people.  This has proven to be more successful but still not sustainable in the long term without providing safety, security and satisfaction for people.  Before embarking on a High Performance through Engagement Strategy it is important to decide whether the focus is on the short, medium or long term.

Air New Zealand adopted the three C's strategy prior to commencing their High Performance Engagement initiative. The following statements were reported in the New Zealand Herald in October of 2017.

“Air New Zealand's board demanded the company achieved three very interdependent goals; commercial returns, enhanced customer experience and a strong people culture within the business.”

Achieving a synergy between the three C’s is not an easy task.  It is hard, it takes time, it takes commitment and it requires a robust strategy.

Our High Performance through Engagement Strategy and the HPtE Strategy™ Framework is designed to support organisations find the synergy between Commercial, Customer and Culture to achieve sustainable high performance.