Characteristics
High-performance organizations keep things on track by:

• Promoting growth and improvement through rewards and course-correcting feedback
• Using multiple feedback instruments: multi-rater feedback, performance appraisals, coaching, mentoring, training, etc.

The Process

• Initiate a formal performance management system.
• Base performance standards on the competency profiles of star performers.
• Expand definition of "rewards" to include other positive reinforcements such as training, feedback, opportunity, etc.
• Connect tangible and intangible rewards directly to skills and behaviors that produce high performance.
• Provide abundant, honest, and balanced feedback that contains criticism as well as praise.

Results
By linking rewards to performance and providing course-correcting feedback, high-performance companies avoid drifting astray.