Lou Burrows explains how appreciation is shown to colleagues at ?What If!.
Philippa Lamb tells us more about the ?What If! consultancy and will go on, later in the podcast, to find out how this company and the Standard Chartered Bank,have developed a culture of exceptionally high performance working.
The CIPD's three-year project to probe the foundations of high-performance working, Shaping the Future, is outlined by Steve Crabb. Steve discusses how innovative ideas could have an effect on sustainable high performance and the 'bottom line'. He also talks about the companies participating in the project. They are both large and small organisations from all over the UK and some from abroad too.
You can use the link at the end of the shownotes on this page to find the details of Shaping the Future.
If you would like to know more about our speakers, please use the following link
We rejoin Lou from ?What If! to hear her explain the steps to high performance that her consultancy has taken. Recruitment is key, and while the workforce is diverse, there are certain characteristics which make candidates a good fit. ?What If!'s consultants are there to help clients sort out problems. Listen to how the company supports its employees in their demanding roles.
Lucy Greenwell interviews Tim Miller from Standard Chartered and was keen to know how his bank was managing to buck the trend of diving profits in other parts of the sector. Having listened to Tim explain how people policies in place at the bank avoided disaster, Lucy wonders how high performance can be sustained. Tim's answer seems disarmingly simple. See if you agree.
?What If!'s culture has been taken to New York and Shanghai. Listen to Lou's enthusiastic observations and hear how performance appraisal has been turned into something more imaginative, more in tune with ?What If!'s culture and values which Lou thinks is what helps to keep things vibrant.
Philippa asks Lou if it is really possible to keep people working at consistently high levels - perhaps it only works in a creative company? Hear her reply.
An interesting comparison is made with Standard Chartered and ?What If!. Listen to Tim describe how the same aims are achieved in two culturally different environments.
If you would like to find out more about the Shaping the Future project, the simplest way is to go the the page on our website, whether you are a member or not.
Other useful links:
CIPD factsheet on Sustainable organisation performance
There's a new CIPD podcast every month. Coming soon…Resilience through Change.. and more.