In this episode we talked with author Andrew Freedman and discussed the top 11 most important things that a leader needs to do to create a high-performance culture that doesn’t burn people out.
Andrew has spent his whole career advocating for the maximization of human potential and creating positive change, personally and professionally. For over 25 years, he’s been helping organizations design strategies that provide leaders a foundation to translate individual, team, and organizational talent into tangible business growth.
As Managing Partner of SHIFT Consulting, he’s helped countless companies across diverse industries flourish through vibrant company cultures and a high-performance mindset. Andrew is also author of Thrive: The Leader’s Guide To Building A High-Performance Culture, which Forbes has named one of the 8 must-read books for this year.
Join us as we learn about the C.R.E.D. model that Andrew uses within his own consulting firm to improve the feedback and growth process between leaders and employees, and hear how impactful and important 1:1 meetings are and how to make the most of them.
Here is a link to Andrew’s website:
Andrew’s Website
Here is a link to Andrew’s book:
Thrive: The Leader’s Guide To Building A High-Performance Culture
Here is a link if you want to connect with Andrew on LinkedIn:
Andrew’s Linkedin Profile
Andrew’s Top 10
1. Be The Leader Having a Leader Who Believes That Having a High Performance Culture Is Paramount To The Organization’s Success Is The Foundation All of This Is Built On You Want Your Boss To Be
“You can try to do these 10 things, but if you don’t hit that ‘I believe’ button, it is going to dull the impact you could have.” – Andrew Freedman
2. Create clarity and alignment through vision, strategies and goals
When the vision, strategies, and goals of an organization are clearly communicated and in alignment with one another, they act as a guide for decision making for both leaders and employees within the organization.
3. Define what is most important with organizational values and behaviors
A clear understanding of what is most important in regard to the organization’s values and behaviors not only helps guide decision-making, but also creates an organizational culture that is welcoming and comfortable to employees whose personal values and behaviors are in alignment with those of the organization.
4. Set standards of excellence for all roles
Everyone within an organization should have a clear understanding of what it means to be excellent within their role. This allows every member of the organization to focus on what is most important and also prevents misunderstandings on employee performance.
5. Reduce barriers to higher levels of engagement and performance
Members at every level within an organization have the potential to provide valuable insights and better the organization. Leaders who reduce the barriers to higher levels of engagement and performance create a workplace culture that better utilizes the potential of its employees.
6. Build an environment where people actively seek and provide (near) real time feedback, delivered with C.R.E.D.
“In order for people to know what they’re doing that they should do more of, or what they are doing that they need to do differently or better in order to achieve those high standards of excellence, they need feedback, we all need feedback.” – Andrew Freedman
7. Treat 1:1s like the most important meeting of the week
“Maintaining and sustaining alignment is critical, and one of the best ways to do that is 1:1’s.” – Andrew Freedman
8. Develop Routines, Rituals, and Rhythms that fuse your team together
These routines, rituals, and rhythms will create an environment that is not only more enjoyable for your employees, but also creates a higher level of productivity and collaboration.
9. Model the way for embracing failure
When a leader embraces failure, they create an environment where employees actively look to learn from their mistakes. Along with this, embracing failure also allows employees to bring forward errors and mistakes so that they can be addressed and resolved quickly.
10. Embed a mindset of abundance and possibility
A mindset of abundance and possibility fosters an environment where all members of the organization feel empowered to bring forward ideas that can greatly help the performance of the organization.
11. Make off-boarding a meaningful and (positively) memorable experience
Every organization will have to deal with off-boarding at some point. When the leaders of an organization work to make off-boarding a meaningful and positive experience, they not only are showing their employees that they truly care about them as people. But they also are creating an opportunity for everyone involved to learn and grow from the experience.
