Setting to work before you know what is really at issue is never a wise move
Suppose your organization is experiencing a major problem. You may be grappling with poor employee performance, ineffective management, or perhaps you’re losing your best people. Maybe growth is stagnating, or profits have dipped. Since resolving these internal challenges on your own seems difficult, you bring in an external party—preferably one with a solid reputation. After all, “No one ever got fired for hiring McKinsey.”
The consulting firm you’ve hired talks to management and employees, then offers a solution. A consultant or interim manager embeds themselves in your company for a period, working to address the issue. If they fail, the blame falls on you. If they succeed, you feel that your investment was worthwhile. Eventually, the external party leaves, and your organization is left to maintain the progress—often finding that the initial momentum fades quickly.
No one ever got fired for hiring McKinsey!
Certainty
A quick external fix might seem like the best option, but is it really? Before attempting to resolve internal challenges, shouldn’t you first take a deep dive into the root cause? André de Waal, Academic Director of the HPO Center, gives a resounding “Yes!”
“The limited time a manager has is best spent on a method that has been consistently proven to be effective—one that is backed by scientific research,” De Waal explains. “I want a solid foundation for my approach. Exactly what difference will these improvements make?”
De Waal spent five years conducting both scientific and practical research into the success factors of high-performing organizations. He analyzed more than 290 studies and tested the characteristics of High Performance Organizations (HPOs) in 50 countries, surveying 1,470 organizations. The results identified 35 key factors that contribute to lasting success. These factors fall under five key pillars:
- Quality of management
- Quality of employees
- Long-term orientation
- Openness and Action Orientation
- Continuous improvement and innovation
Monthly eLetter: Sign up for the HPO Newsletter! Receive a monthly collection of our newly published topics on hpocenter.com.
What’s stopping your organization?
“If organizations truly want to improve, they must be willing to commit significant time and effort to addressing internal challenges,” says Esther Mollema, General Director of the HPO Center. “An independent analysis is the best foundation for deciding where to invest limited time and resources. Otherwise, companies risk making decisions based on assumptions rather than facts.”
At the core of the HPO Center’s work is the HPO Diagnosis—an in-depth assessment using surveys and interviews to determine what is really happening within an organization. This diagnosis provides clear direction for necessary changes and improvements. However, how those changes are implemented is up to the organization itself.
“We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution or a rigid model,” De Waal emphasizes. “Instead, we provide a framework that helps managers facilitate change. After the diagnosis—whether the results are surprising, disappointing, or better than expected—it is up to management to take action.”
Lilian Kolker, Research Director of Healthcare at the HPO Center, frequently conducts HPO assessments in healthcare organizations. She often finds that employees and management have completely different views of their organization’s strengths and weaknesses. This highlights the risk of relying solely on management’s perspective when diagnosing internal problems.
“What is stopping your organization from becoming an HPO?” Kolker asks. “The 35 HPO factors may seem obvious, but organizations rarely address all of them systematically. Through our diagnosis, organizations gain a clear understanding of their strengths and improvement areas.”
The results can sometimes be eye-opening. “No one likes to hear that, as management, they may not be providing enough direction or inspiration for their employees,” says Mollema. “That can be tough to process. That’s why we take the time to explain the findings in depth. Recognizing and accepting areas for improvement is the first step toward real change.”
Beyond quick fixes: real, lasting change
Once an organization knows which aspects need improvement, the next step is deciding how to take action. But there is no universal answer—every organization has a unique diagnosis, and therefore a unique path forward.
“No two organizations are alike,” Kolker says. “If you implement the same tool in two different companies, you’ll get two completely different results.”
This is why the HPO Center avoids cookie-cutter solutions and off-the-shelf tools. “Too often, managers rely on tools as a shield,” says Mollema. “If you strictly follow a tool’s guidelines, you don’t have to take responsibility for the outcome. And if things don’t improve, you can always blame the tool rather than taking ownership.”
Mollema points to competence management systems as an example. “In many cases, the tool itself becomes the focus rather than the intended outcome. Managers get caught up in documentation, form-filling, and quarterly check-ins instead of actually driving performance.”
Another common pitfall? Town hall meetings. “These events, where managers ’engage’ with employees every three months, are just another tool,” Mollema notes. “But real engagement doesn’t happen in scheduled intervals. It happens every day, in the way managers communicate, set expectations, and lead by example.”
“Too many organizations chase the latest management trends without a clear long-term strategy,” Mollema adds. “But real leadership is about setting a steady course and saying: ‘This is where we are headed for the next few years. Let’s row in that direction together.’”
First the ‘WHAT,’ then the ‘HOW’
Your organization doesn’t have to be struggling to benefit from the HPO approach. Many successful companies use the HPO Diagnosis as a proactive tool—much like a top athlete getting a regular performance check-up.
“One of our clients, a leading engineering firm, is already highly successful,” Kolker explains. “But they believe in continuous improvement. They compare it to a professional athlete getting an annual check-up—it’s a structured way to assess performance and stay ahead.”
While the HPO Center is often asked to support organizations beyond the diagnosis, they caution against outsourcing transformation to external parties. True change must come from within.
“External consultants can step in and introduce interventions,” Kolker says. “But for changes to stick, they need to be embedded in the company’s DNA.”
De Waal adds, “Psychological research shows that when organizations focus on something, they can change it. But the lasting impact depends entirely on their own efforts.”
Mollema agrees. “The most important question any organization should ask is: ‘What is stopping us from becoming better?’ We help organizations find the answer—so that the real work can begin. In other words, ‘WHAT’ always comes before ‘HOW.’”
De Waal concludes: “We provide clarity on what needs to improve. The challenge for leaders is to use their own strength, intuition, and leadership style to drive real change. Everyone has their own way of doing this—but it starts with knowing where to focus.”
Want to learn more about the HPO Diagnosis?
Curious about how the HPO Framework can help your organization? Contact Marco Schreurs or André de Waal today to discuss how we can support your journey toward lasting excellence.
every year and, whenever something new comes along, we all run after it. But that’s the wrong way to go about it. It is your task as management to make sure everyone in the boat is rowing in the same direction and then tell them: this is what we are going to work towards for the next few years.” says Mollema.
First WHAT, then HOW before you fix your internal problems
Of course, an organization does not necessarily have to be facing major problems to benefit from the HPO Center. Kolker continues, “One of our clients, an engineering firm, is quite successful in its field. Their argument is that, it’s no different than a top athlete who gets a full check-up once a year. This is a great way to assess performance improvement.”
The HPO Center is often asked to assist in follow-up activities, but warns against the dangers of external parties driving the change. The HPO Center coaches, supervises and shares its knowledge of HPO factors, but does not believe that bringing in someone from outside the organization is a guarantee for success. “You then have someone stepping in and doing an intervention,” says Kolker. “But the change needs to come from within. Otherwise, it won’t last. It needs to get embedded in the DNA of the company.” De Waal adds, “A well known psychological effect is that, if you focus on something, you can change it, but its effectiveness depends on the efforts of the organization itself.” To which Mollema adds, “The question that should lie at the heart of every action is, what is stopping us from becoming better? We help find the answer to that question, so that the real work can begin. In other words, ’what’ always comes before ’how’.” De Waal concludes, “We provide an answer to what an organization needs to improve. The challenge for the manager is to incorporate his or her own strength, intuition and style. Everyone has their own way of doing this.”
For more information about the HPO Framework, our lecturers, HPO Experts, workshops and Master Classes, please contact us (schreurs@hpocenter.com).