Article: In high-performance organizations, leaders inspire more than they drive: Tanushree Ray, Shadowfax

Culture

In high-performance organizations, leaders inspire more than they drive: Tanushree Ray, Shadowfax

In an exclusive interaction with People Matters, Tanushree Ray, Head of HR, Shadowfax, shares her thoughts on the factors that go into building a high performance organization.
In high-performance organizations, leaders inspire more than they drive: Tanushree Ray, Shadowfax

A high-performance organization is an organization that is able to perform exceedingly better than those of its peer group over a period of time by focusing in a disciplined way on that which really matters to the organization. But who exactly determines what matters to the organization? What are these factors that go into building high-performance organizations? As today’s organizations are facing the need for change at a faster pace than ever before due to advancements in technology, multi-generational workforces and global economic implications, what is the kind of culture that acts as an enabler of a high-performance organization?

In an exclusive interaction with People Matters, Tanushree Ray, Head of HR, Shadowfax, one of India's largest crowdsourced B2B last-mile delivery services platform, shares her thoughts on the factors that go into building a high-performance organization.

What does building a high-performance organization truly mean?

Building an HPO Org means achieving organizational goals within defined timelines. This is done by focusing continuously on:

• Improving new and robust Talent Hire Methodology

• Leadership Development

•Inculcating a high-performance culture-building attitude 

Working ardently on these aspects can take the organization forward to its next milestone in its growth and evolution journey.

What would you say are the three most important factors in creating a high-performance organization?

A high-performance organizational culture is not dependent on just a couple of simple factors. It is a more holistic concept that takes into account the entire context you operate in. Critical factors creating and driving an HPO are:

Leaders inspire more than they drive: Leaders in high-performance teams know how to create energy and enthusiasm in a talented team. This aspect leads us to the next factor which is talent.

Hiring the right talent: Getting the best-fit talent in the system that resonates with the ingrained values and visions of the organization. This factor is intertwined with the 3rd critical factor of culture.

Culture and innovation: Strong company values coupled with a spirit of innovation provide a conducive environment for employees to strive to be better in their areas of expertise.

What is the role of leadership in building a high-performance organization?

Leaders cannot just guide. They have to act as role models and lead the culture-building from the front.

They have to ensure that all the tacit and implicit cues given by their everyday actions to the teams and the organization as a whole, set the right tenor.

What kind of organizational culture is most suited for a high-performance organization? How can HR leaders build that culture in the organization?

HR Leaders have to ensure that there is a common thread flowing across the organization and all units and functions are in sync with one another. Any temporary deviations should also be brought back into the mainstream by the HR leaders.

There should be a continuous reinforcement of culture setting across the organization leading to a happy workplace where innovation emerges a winner!

How can technology act as an enabler for a high-performance organization?

Technology helps scale things. Small measures to improve processes can be scaled up with the power of technology. It helps automating and streamlining processes across departments and offices. It makes the execution of effective, helpful and employee-centric HR policies simpler and better.

What are the talent strategies that support an innovative workplace?

According to me, there are three factors that can contribute to innovation-

  • Millennial hiring (hackathons, BYOD, no layers, etc.)
  • Diversity hiring
  • Segmentation of talent demographics

What is the role of measuring the right performance metrics for a high-performance organization? What do you think should be the right metrics for the same?

I would say that data-driven metrics to monitor the accountability of the individual/teams to bring transparency between teams. The most appropriate benchmark should include metrics aligned to the core organizational values such as innovation, customer-centricity, and integrity.

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Topics: Culture, #ChangeTheGame

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