The Secrets of High Performance Report*, which spoke with both c-suite executives and employees, shines a light on the stark disconnect between how these groups define high performance within their organisations, with leaders demanding ‘operational excellence’ and a ‘fast moving environment’, while employees expect a ‘highly skilled team’ and ‘financial success’. The findings underline the differing expectations of leaders and workers on what success looks like in an expected volatile 2025 for many organisations.
The survey, which included a sample across the private and public sector, found that 91% of employees thought their team was high performing, compared to just 51% of the leaders who run those functions. Meanwhile, both groups were also at odds as to what creates high performance, with three-quarters (76%) of employees feeling that their organisation has a clear understanding of what creates high performance compared to just 47% of business leaders. CEOs may in part be to blame for this confusion with leaders, with 25% of leaders saying that their CEO doesn’t know what high performance looks like, and 27% say that their CEO doesn’t help them achieve it.
Tackling productivity and operating in a high performing manner has long been a challenge for many UK organisations. Our findings shine a light on the organisational forces at play which are causing friction and inhibiting high performance. Right now, we are seeing a great performance divide, between leaders and employees in what high performance is and how to achieve it. Organisations and their leaders must wake up to this disconnect and act to bring the organisation together. If they don’t address this performance puzzle it will be a blocker to growth and success, ultimately impacting on the bottom line.
Bosses lack confidence in 2025
Looking ahead, the disparity between workers and their bosses continues. Nearly two in three employees (66%) believe their organisation will be high performing this year, yet only 41% of leaders felt the same. Additionally, nearly half of leaders (49%) are worried about their organisation’s ability to be high performing in 2025, compared to just under a third (31%) of employees. However, both leaders (45%) and employees (48%) are united in the belief that the current economic climate will make achieving high performance difficult.
These findings underline the reality of leadership, with those surveyed in the c-suite more in tune with the organisation’s risks and targets. However, the results also raise the question as to whether employees are being too optimistic and naively overlooking the threat of AI and what it may mean for how they highly perform in 2025.
Other key findings from the ‘Secrets of High Performance’ report include:
- Role of technology: Technology is universally recognised as a vital factor in helping organisations to achieve high performance with 100% of leaders and 99% of employees say this is the case
- High performance barriers: Organisational culture, low productivity and lack of access to the right information and data were cited as the top issues as to why leaders felt their organisation wasn’t high performing whereas employees cited not having the right skills set, inefficient processes and lack of clear vision from leadership
- Outdated perspectives: 31% of employees believe their leadership’s view of high performance in outdated
- Generational tensions: 47% of leaders believe that having multiple generations stifles creativity and innovation, and 51% say communication gaps across generations impact performance
Building a high performance organisation in 2025 will be far from straightforward, however it is still very much in reach. High performance organisations aren’t built in silos – they are forged in unity. Leaders must not overlook the importance of a shared vision, clear goals, the right tools, and effective communication to bridge misalignments and building a sustainable high performance organisation for today and tomorrow.
Report by MHR
