How to Build a High-Performance Culture in 2024

The highest-performing teams don’t operate in the dark. Instead, they leverage actionable data to uncover team strengths and weaknesses. The insights generated from measuring employee performance and engagement allow them to identify upskilling opportunities, acknowledge achievements, and make informed decisions about growth strategies on an ongoing basis.

Why you need to measure performance

In short, you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Without clear and real-time metrics, effective management and continuous improvement become elusive – even for the best managers in the world. At Seam, we believe that high-performing organizations proactively embrace real-time employee engagement analysis. Why? Because data empowers you to:

1. Pinpoint hidden talent and performance gaps 

Data reveals individual and team dynamics, allowing you to ditch the guesswork and gut feelings so you can tailor development plans with laser focus.

2. Boost retention with real-time performance recognition 

Data validates the hard work of your top performers. Celebrating achievements as they happen keeps them engaged and energized. And a happy, productive workforce translates directly to your bottom line. Disengaged workers cost companies upwards of $550 billion annually. 

3. Make strategic decisions based on insights, not hunches 

Data provides the objective insights you need to optimize your team's performance and shape critical business decisions. 

4. Improve employee satisfaction with data-driven upskilling

For high performing employees, getting access to their personal performance data frequently gives them a better chance at improving their work product while leveling up core skill sets. In addition, the more data employees have, the more equipped they are to advocate for their work.

The power of performance insights from Seam

Remote and hybrid teams often struggle with gauging individual and team performance. While some may fear that performance tracking is micromanagement, Seam offers a different approach by leveraging data from existing tools used to do work across the business.

This focus on effort resonates with high performers who value recognition of contributions. Unnoticed talent can lead to disengagement and ultimately, higher turnover. A recent survey from Bonusly indicates that nearly half of workers will leave jobs if they don’t feel appreciated. Seam’s approach highlights individual contributions, enabling a culture of reward and retention.

But Seam’s value extends beyond recognizing top performers. The data can also identify areas where lower performers might need targeted support and development opportunities. This proactive approach improves overall team performance.

3 pillars of a high-performance culture

You have likely heard the buzzwords trust, accountability, and transparency. They are the three core pillars of high-performing teams. But how can you translate these pillars into actionable strategies? 

1. Foster trust through visibility

Transparency allows for open communication and collaboration, building trust between employees and managers. Seam ingests data from various tools employees already use (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Jira), creating a trusted information source. 

This eliminates intrusive monitoring and empowers employees by making efforts and contributions objectively clear. Employees are more likely to trust leaders who make fair decisions based on data, not biases.

2. Empower ownership through accountability

High-performing teams value effort over raw output. This fosters a culture of ownership and initiative, where employees are accountable for their performance. Employees are encouraged to take ownership of their work so they can focus on effort and engage in deep work. 

When effort is rewarded, employees take initiative. They go the extra mile, explore more, and actively contribute to the team’s overall success. That’s why Seam’s scoring system emphasizes effort over raw output. Seam’s data analysis makes timely interventions possible. This allows for open and collaborative discussions between managers and employees, addressing challenges — such as uneven workload, lack of focus, and skills gaps — before they snowball.

3. Build a foundation of company transparency 

Seam’s data translates into clear performance visualizations, giving everyone a comprehensive picture of individual and team efforts. This fosters a sense of shared responsibility and motivates teams to work together better.

Seam also promotes transparency by creating visibility into resource allocation. By revealing underutilized tools, Seam empowers your team to leverage the best tools for the job and remove confusion about which platforms to use.

How to build a performance powerhouse

Creating a high-performance culture isn’t a one-time thing; it’s about strategic measurement, recognition, and development. Here’s a roadmap to get you there, with or without Seam:

• Engagement: Track surveys, pulse polls, and one-on-ones to gauge employee satisfaction and motivation.
• Focus Time: Measure uninterrupted deep work periods to understand how well employees can concentrate on critical tasks. Tools like time trackers can help here.
• Activity: Look at communication volume, project involvement, and meeting attendance to understand overall workload distribution. Be mindful, however, not to confuse activity with productivity.
• Capacity/Utilization: Analyze team workload and tool usage to identify potential bottlenecks or underutilized resources.
• Productivity Scoring: Develop a scoring system based on factors like task completion rates, goal achievement, and quality of work (ensure that this complements, not replaces, our metrics).
• Performance Reviews: Use data to conduct regular performance discussions and provide specific and actionable feedback. Focus on effort and celebrate wins while offering explicit support for areas needing improvement.

Seam helps you supercharge your high-performance engine

While these strategies are valuable on their own, they become a powerhouse when combined with Seam. Seam offers a solution that goes beyond basic measurement — it fosters a positive cultural impact across your entire organization.

Empower your high performers from day one

Integrating Seam into your performance management system streamlines data collection and unlocks deeper insights. This allows you to recognize and celebrate the efforts of your high performers, boosting morale and motivation.

Focus on actionable insights, not micromanagement

Seam illuminates team dynamics without resorting to intrusive monitoring. By analyzing data from existing tools, Seam identifies trends, highlights focus time, and helps you see growth potential. This gives leaders actionable metrics to implement strategic interventions, boosting individual and team performance to a higher degree.

Weed out performance drag, not your best people

Seam’s technology helps identify performance drag. The goal is to reduce bottlenecks and empower teams. This allows leaders to address the areas that might hinder overall performance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Measure your most important asset: people

Seam isn't just a data tool; it’s an investment in your most valuable asset — your people. By simplifying data collection and providing actionable insights, Seam enables you to build a high-performing team that thrives, regardless of location.

Data is the new oil, and Seam helps you refine it into fuel for your company’s success.