Who is the author of Accelerating Performance?

The authors of Accelerating Performance are Colin Price and Sharon Toye.

Entrepreneurship

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Accelerating Performance summary

Name: Accelerating Performance
Rating: 3.4 (18 reviews)
Author: Colin Price & Sharon Toye

Colin Price Sharon Toye

How Organizations Can Mobilize, Execute, and Transform with Agility

3.4 (18 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

Accelerating Performance by Colin Price and Sharon Toye provides a practical guide to achieving high performance in organizations. It offers strategies and tools to drive change, improve leadership effectiveness, and create a culture of continuous improvement.

Topics

Leadership Scrum & Agile Strategy Work Culture

Table of Contents

Accelerating Performance
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What’s in it for me? Transform your organization using the power of the META system.

Have you ever wondered why some organizations thrive while others flounder, despite being in the same market, with similar resources? Perhaps you've observed how some companies seem to adapt seamlessly to change, continuously innovating and staying ahead of the curve. Then again, maybe you're part of an organization yourself, striving to decode the secret recipe for success amid rapidly changing market dynamics. So how can your organization navigate the complex labyrinth of today's business world effectively? What strategies, practices, and mindsets should you adopt to foster growth and success?

In this Blink, we’ll explore a new approach to organizational management. It’s called the META framework, and it has the potential to redefine the rules of the game, fostering a culture of adaptability and resilience. Mastering the principles outlined in this Blink has the potential to profoundly affect your professional life, and equip you with the knowledge and skills to manage, lead, or even transform an organization.

With that said, let's delve into the world of META management, exploring the innovative ways it can revolutionize your organization's performance.

Navigating success with the META mindset

In a rapidly changing world, we’re confronted with the urgent need to revamp our approach to managing organizations. Sadly, the tools we've previously employed to navigate these turbulent waters haven't adequately addressed the challenges at hand, leaving us stuck in repeating cycles of failure. The call to action here? We need to reimagine our management philosophy, acknowledging that what we often dismiss as the “soft stuff” like culture, relationships, and shared vision can sometimes be the hardest to get right.

The first step in this transformational journey is a shift in mindset, a paradigm the authors term as META: Mobilize, Execute, and Transform with Agility. This method helps companies steer clear of the all-too-common trap of blindly chasing speed, which is often a deceptive catchphrase among leaders.

Paradoxically, this can also lead to what the authors call an acceleration trap, which can actually slow the pace. What’s more is that, in the quest for disruptive business models, companies often overlook the more substantial opportunities in their existing markets – sometimes, the next big thing might be right under our noses, and within the confines of our current operations.

To illustrate the power of META, let's look at Nets Holding, a Scandinavian payments processor. Just a few years ago, Nets was struggling with declining revenues. Today, it's growing organically at an impressive rate, thanks to principles derived from META.

First, the company decided to mobilize, the “M” in META. They pursued an exhaustive understanding of their market, customers, competitors, and profitability. This thorough comprehension acted as the foundation for their acceleration.

Next, they executed. They attained alignment among the top team quickly, partly by onboarding new talent for roles that demanded swift action. This step also involved aggressively pursuing quick wins to build momentum and free up resources for strategic pursuits.

Following execution, they chose to transform. They didn't shy away from addressing operational issues that required immediate resolution, which meant changing old practices and introducing new, more efficient ones.

Lastly, they did all these with agility, meaning they remained flexible and responsive to any changes in their market, adjusting their strategies and approaches as needed.

The result of this META journey? A significant increase in profitability and a rejuvenated organization.

The journey toward META wasn't easy. It began with studying the management practices of hundreds of leading companies. It continued with carrying out surveys and having conversations with global leaders. They even looked into data from thousands of teams and reviewed countless executive assessments. This painstaking process was driven by the commitment to a data-driven approach to management. While the research journey in itself may not make a riveting story, it certainly offers invaluable insights into the inner workings of successful organizations.

So here's the big picture: If you want to revolutionize the performance of your organization, you have to pay attention to the seemingly soft stuff. Adopt a META mindset – and remember, change might be hard, but stagnation is fatal.

Harnessing agility and structure for success

It should come as no surprise that navigating the complex world of business is no walk in the park. Much like a sailor guiding a vessel through unpredictable waters, a company must chart its course with precision, adaptability, and foresight. This brings us to two crucial components of success: strategic agility and organizational structure. These act as the sails and hull of our ship – strategic agility enables us to catch and wield the wind, constantly adjusting our direction based on external forces. On the other hand, organizational structure forms the solid hull of our ship, a robust framework that holds everything together. It needs innovation and adaptation to withstand the relentless waves of change. Let's take a closer look at these concepts and explore how they can be harnessed to accelerate performance.

Put simply, strategic agility is basically all about recognizing changes in the market, like new trends or competitive tactics, and adjusting your strategy accordingly. But how can you become more agile in your strategy? Take a tech firm, for instance. This firm discovers, based on feedback, that a new software feature it is developing is unpopular. Instead of stubbornly pushing forward with it, it chooses to “fail fast,” abandoning the feature and redirecting resources to a more promising avenue. The firm realizes the importance of reacting rapidly based on imperfect information, ensuring it maintains a competitive edge.

The power of META principles for teams and leaders

We now arrive at the heart of any organization – its teams and leaders. Both play a vital role in maintaining the pace and direction of an organization. Their alignment and efficiency act as the robust engine driving us forward. Luckily, the META framework can supercharge this engine, helping teams to surpass their own benchmarks and inspiring leaders to raise the bar of excellence.

Think of an orchestra. A team is like the ensemble of instrumentalists, each member playing their part to perfection. The more harmonious they are, the better the symphony. The authors’ research shows high-performing teams can deliver up to 23 percent more value than those that are struggling. But what sets these high-performing teams apart? The ability to connect directly with their audience, much like an orchestra playing to an enchanted crowd.

Crafting the perfect blend for business acceleration

As we dive deeper into the art of accelerating performance, we hit a crucial junction – the need to figure out the perfect mix for acceleration, and the transformation that needs to kick in at both a personal and company-wide level. Every business, be it a buzzing startup or a big, established multinational, needs to understand the unique blend of factors that will fuel its acceleration.

Finding this recipe is like mastering a new culinary art. Just as a chef cannot use every ingredient in the kitchen, you neither can nor should try to incorporate all differentiating actions into your organization's strategic plan. It's about selectively incorporating the most significant actions – just like using just the right blend of spices that will add the most flavor to your dish.

Accelerate your progress with four critical META skills

We arrive now at the last piece of the META puzzle in our journey: mastering four critical skills to speed up progress in organizations. These crucial skills are ripple intelligence, resource fluidity, dissolving paradox, and liquid leadership. They offer a fresh take on solving old problems and are key to truly accelerating performance within the META framework.

Let’s begin with ripple intelligence. Our world, and the business landscape, is complicated, with loads of things happening all at once, like ripples in a pond. Managers need to spot and make sense of these ripples to grab opportunities and dodge risks. But how do you build this kind of insight?

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What is Accelerating Performance about?

Accelerating Performance (2017) dives deep into the META framework, a cutting-edge approach for businesses navigating rapid change. Discover essential skills like ripple intelligence and liquid leadership, and learn how to foster a culture that balances speed with strategy. Through gripping case studies and fresh insights, you'll grasp how to unlock your organization's full potential and fuel sustainable growth.

Accelerating Performance Review

Accelerating Performance (2017) offers a comprehensive guide on improving organizational performance by unlocking the power of human potential. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:

With its rigorous research and practical advice, it equips leaders with actionable strategies to drive performance and achieve outstanding results.
Presenting compelling case studies and real-world examples, the book illustrates how organizations can create a high-performance culture that fosters innovation and growth.
By exploring the interplay between leadership, culture, and performance, the book provides a fresh perspective and valuable insights that challenge conventional thinking.

Who should read Accelerating Performance?

Business leaders seeking to drive organizational growth and agility
Aspiring entrepreneurs aiming for strategic excellence
Management consultants looking for innovative business insights

About the Author

Colin Price is the Group Chief Operating Officer at Quintet Private Bank. Other titles of his include Beyond Performance, co-authored with Scott Keller.

Sharon Toye is a strategic advisor at Quintet Private Bank, and a former partner at Heidrick & Struggles. Her publications have appeared in outlets including Business Strategy Review and Managerial Forensics.

Categories with Accelerating Performance

Entrepreneurship Corporate Culture Management & Leadership

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