Operationalizing High-Consequence

Wellness: A High-Performance Work

System for High-Consequence Teams
Author: Jason Op de Beeck

Online Report: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/XGTIPFEYscPwwcGa

Video Summary: https://youtu.be/k_ySwvIgmvE

 Operationalizing High-Consequence Wellness:
A High-Performance Work System for High-Consequence Teams
Table of Contents

PRACTITIONER SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 3

1 A HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORK SYSTEM FOR YOUR TEAM ......................................................... 8

1.1 CLARITY ............................................................................................................................. 8

1.2 EMPATHY ......................................................................................................................... 11

1.3 TRUST ............................................................................................................................. 18

1.4 PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................... 22

2 INTEGRATING HPWS INTO ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ........................................................... 26

3 IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS ............................................................................................... 33

4 FINAL THOUGHTS ........................................................................................................... 37

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 38

Published: September 27th, 2024

Author: Jason Op de Beeck

About: A seasoned Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces

with over 24 years of leadership in crisis and emergency
management, operations, and program design,
specializing in disaster risk reduction and resilience, while
mentoring and fostering collaboration through
transformational leadership.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonopdebeeck/

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Practitioner Summary
Please note that this article can be viewed in several formats and layouts and is optimized for
both mobile and desktop viewing. Any feedback on format or content can be sent directly
through my web portal or at www.opdebeeck.ca.

This summary is intended to quickly enable a practitioner to apply best practices without
needing to delve into the full document, offering immediate, actionable steps for enhancing
team performance in high-consequence environments. There is a video below that summarizes
the points here for consideration as well.

Sample templates and examples to aid you are available on my website or directly for
download here:

• Peer Feedback and 360-Degree Review

• Continuing Learning & Development Plan

• SMART Goals and OKRs

• Conflict Resolution Protocol

• Team Agreement

This video concisely summarizes the key learning points

https://youtu.be/k_ySwvIgmvE.

In high-consequence environments such as emergency call centres, healthcare, first-responders,

and military units, where decisions and actions can have critical implications, a high-
performance work system (HPWS) can significantly enhance team resilience, adaptability, and
performance. The system explained in detail here integrates principles of transformational
leadership with high-performance leadership to foster clarity, empathy, trust, purpose-driven
motivation, and innovation.

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Here are actionable steps you can take right away to enhance team performance:

1. Set clear expectations for individuals and the team.

• One-on-one collaborative interviews should set agreed upon expectations for individuals
and their role within the team.

• Team meetings should communicate clear expectations for team roles, goals, and
organizational culture. These meetings should emphasize how each role is
interconnected and demonstrate how everyone’s contributions align with and support
the overall shared goals of the organization.

• Set a clear vision based on the team’s mission and then define clear goals using SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives or OKR (Objectives
and Key Results) frameworks to align team responsibilities with organizational
objectives.

• Daily stand-ups enable personal and professional connection within a team, fostering
relationships and creating safe and consistent collaborative engagement setting a daily
standard for the group.

2. Build Empathy and Psychological Safety

• All members should participate and agree to a collaborative team agreement. This
should be a living document that clarifies the team's values, purpose, behaviours,
personal goals and supports, team strengths, decision and planning processes, and
approaches to conflict and challenges.

• Train your team in emotional intelligence and create a balanced culture where mistakes
are viewed as learning opportunities. Foster an environment free of fear through shared
cultural norms, where team members feel valued and are comfortable expressing ideas
and concerns without fear of retribution stimulating innovation. When team members
feel safe to communicate their ideas and feelings, they are more likely to engage fully,
offer innovative ideas, and support each other, leading to more resilient and effective
teams.

• Create opportunities to foster relationships such as having all members arrive to

meetings 5-minutes early along with a mobile device off and away policy. The goal is
getting people talking about themselves and humanizing one another.

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3. Establish Trust

• Lead by example; all members should be provided the opportunity to be leaders and all
leaders should strive to exemplify the culture and principles expected. Ownership
through seeking and accepting responsibility is critical.

• Actively listen and engage members through open-ended questions that invite dialogue.
Facilitate discourse rather than dictating to stimulate innovation.

• Provide individualized development plans for every member, collaborating with them to
achieve their professional goals and personal growth. Training and skill development
opportunities should be provided, and the plan should demonstrate a commitment to
long-term investment in the member.

• Connect team members through mentorship opportunities to support internal

professional development.

4. Connect to the Purpose

• Use the WHO Model (What We Do, How We Do It, and For Whom We Do It) to clearly
communicate purpose.

• Share the impacts that the team's work is having through end user stories.

• Find opportunities to recognize the contributions and performance of team members.

• Reinforce how individual and team efforts matter and align with goals and the broader
vision.

• Empower team members to make decisions within their roles, while holding them
accountable for measurable outcomes.

5. Monitoring and Beyond

• The best implementation is one that is planned; monitor and measure performance and
wellness based on iteratively developed KPI's.

By implementing these facets, teams in can improve communication, reduce stress, and
maintain a balance between performance and well-being. The comprehensive and holistic
framework provided by this HPWS offers a structured, scalable approach for organizations and
leaders aiming to foster high-performing, cohesive teams capable of sustainably thriving in high-
consequence and high-risk environments.

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Leading Beyond Results: Building Sustainable Success in High-

Consequence Environments

"Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those
in your charge. Leaders are not responsible for the result; they're
responsible for the people responsible for the results" [1]

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In high-consequence and high-risk professions, success isn’t just about achieving results; it's
about creating sustainable environments for people to thrive.

High-performance leaders understand that their primary role is to cultivate an environment

where their teams feel empowered, supported, and psychologically safe. When leaders focus on
their people, results naturally follow.

So how do we create such an environment, especially in high-pressure settings where the

margin for error is slim?

Keep reading to explore how Transformational and High-Performance leadership meld into a
High-Performance Work System (HPWS) that unlocks the full potential of your team, driving
both exceptional and sustainable outcomes.

Aids to learning samples and templates are available for download at

www.jasonopdebeeck.com/samples/.

[1] Simon Sinek (Director). (2016, November 2). Most Leaders Don’t Even Know the Game They’re In [YouTube].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyTQ5-SQYTo

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1 A High-Performance Work System for Your Team

Implementing a HPWS integrates the principles of transformational leadership and high-
performance leadership to create a high-performing, resilient, and adaptable team. This
approach ensures clarity, empathy, psychological safety, and a shared purpose, which are vital
for teams operating in high-pressure environments. We are now going to look at these
fundamental facets of your HPWS, understanding what they are and why you need them,
methods for implementing them, potential issues and conflict that can arise, and what results to
expect.

HPWS Pyramid illustrating that each step is the foundation of the next level.

1.1 Clarity
Clearly Communicating Roles and Goals

WHAT: Clarity refers to the precise communication of roles, responsibilities, and expected
outcomes. It ensures everyone understands their individual contributions and how these align
with the overall goals of the team and organization.

WHY: Without clarity, teams risk confusion, misalignment, and wasted efforts. Clear goals and
expectations increase accountability, streamline work processes, and keep teams focused on
critical objectives, especially in high-pressure environments where precision is crucial. Clarity
sets the foundation for high-performance team success.

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HOW:

Establish clear goals and expectations by communicating responsibilities and outcomes upfront,
ensuring everyone understands their role in achieving team objectives and are aligned through
a unifying vision.

1. Mission: The overarching purpose of every member is in achieving the organizations,

vision; for projects this is often a fixed end state, but for many high-consequence fields,
it is an on-going service driven organizational state.

2. Role and Responsibility Documentation: Develop and maintain clear job descriptions,
including roles, responsibilities, and expected outcomes for each team member; discuss
in person and iteratively adapt based on feedback.

3. Organizational Code of Conduct: At the organizational level, a code of conduct sets that
the standard for cultural expectations. This document should be clear and
comprehensive and sets the standard for the organizations culture. While every member
should adhere to and demonstrate the values and standards in this document, it is the
responsibility of every leader to champion and exemplify the standard set by it and the
actions and perceptions held by members will reflect this.

4. Goals Framework: Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-

bound) goals use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to ensure that objectives are clearly
defined and aligned with both team and organizational goals so that everyone
understand their role, purpose, and path towards success.

5. Regular Reviews: Revisit roles and responsibilities with members and adjust to ensure
alignment based on situational change and progress and to address any confusion or
ambiguities.

6. Team Collaboration: <15:00 minute SCRUM style daily stand-ups normalize team
discourse and collaborative solution creation.

OBSTACLES: Here we are clearly communicating the position of the organization and its
members and depending on previous management styles and the personalities of team
members, it is likely that many will be apprehensive or resistant to any proposed changes.

SOLUTIONS: Transparency and consistency in messaging is essential so be specific and always

start and end with focusing on the overall Vision. Take every opportunity to collaborate with
team members to clearly communicate their role in achieving organization goals and success.

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RESULTS: Clear roles and goals will facilitate performance while focusing everyone's efforts
towards common outcomes. This sets the foundation for developing team cohesion and
sustainable high-performance through empathy.

Aids to Learning:

Example of SMART goals/objectives and OKRs in the context of a high-consequence workplace

are available in .docx form directly from my website and are also described below.

OKR Example: SMART Goals Example:

Here quantitative improvements (call handling time, Goal - Improve Call Response Time
accuracy) and qualitative goals (team satisfaction and
feedback) align with the specific operational needs of the Specific - Reduce average call response time by 20% for
organization. emergency dispatchers

Objective: Improve Call Handling Efficiency and Team Measurable - [QUANT] Measure response time
Communication in the PSAP Center improvement using monthly reports

Key Results: Achievable - Train dispatchers with new protocols and

technologies
1. Reduce average call handling time by 15% (from
4 minutes to 3.4 minutes) by the end of Q3 2024, Relevant - Align with the organization’s goal to increase
measured using monthly performance reports. emergency response efficiency

2. Increase dispatcher accuracy in relaying critical Time-Bound - Achieve this by the end of Q3 2024
information to first responders by reducing
miscommunication errors by 20%, tracked
through incident reviews and feedback from field
units by Q4 2024.

3. Improve team satisfaction with

communication tools and processes by achieving
a 4.5/5 rating in the quarterly internal survey on
teamwork and collaboration by the end of Q3
2024.

4. Implement a new dispatcher feedback

loop where 100% of call handlers receive
qualitative feedback from supervisors within 24
hours of handling high-priority calls, ensuring
improvement opportunities are addressed by the
end of Q2 2024.

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1.2 Empathy
WHAT: Empathy is the ability to understand
and share the feelings of others, leading to a
supportive and collaborative work
environment. It encourages open
communication and helps develop trust
within the team.

WHY: Collaborative relationships built on

empathy enable stronger team cohesion. It is
the next step in clarity where members
understand the interconnected roles that other team members fulfil and how it relates to
themselves. For leader-follower relationships it is about caring and investing in members. When
team members feel valued and understood, they are more likely to communicate openly,
engage in problem-solving, and support each other through challenges. Psychological safety
fosters innovation and prevents costly mistakes in high-consequence environments.

HOW:

Foster collaborative relationships by actively listening to team member's perspectives and

needs, creating a collaborative work environment, ensuring everyone feels valued and
supported.

1. Collaboration: Planning should be collaborative and mission briefing should

communicate how everyone's roles and tasks are connected and how they impact and
intersect one another. Ensuring that everyone understands each other’s roles and how
they are connected members will appreciate the professional contributions of each team
member.

2. Pre-Meeting Discussions: Conduct informal discussions before larger meetings to allow

individuals to develop personal relationships in relaxed setting. Creating opportunities
for teams to learn about who each other are outside of work will facilitate better
communications because teams will know each other’s strengths and limitations, what
drives and motivate each person, and generally helps explain why each person is the
way they are.

3. Development Plans: Collaborate with every team member to create personalized

development plans based on their strengths, career goals, and needs. Not every
member wants to be a leader or climb the ranks but by listening and collaborating we
can give everyone the opportunity to excel and succeed.

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4. Advocacy: Advocate for the benefit of every member; train them, train the trainers, and
be the one to champion everyone’s success.

5. Open-Door Policy: Create a culture where team members feel safe to approach
leadership with ideas, feedback, or concerns. Open-door policies are about creating an
environment conducive to open discourse.

6. Structured Meetings: All meetings beyond the daily stand-up, should be preceded by a
written framework of what everyone can expect from it. This is particularly critical for
performance reviews or other one-on-one engagements. By providing members at least
24 hours advanced notice of what to expect you can facilitate a meaningful engagement
on improvement and celebration of success.

7. Communicating: If something or someone is not performing well ASK why? The easiest
way to understand what and why is to ask those with the information, especially when it
is about them. In performance reviews, research shows that neurodivergent members
learn best from a negative-positive-negative reverse sandwich approach. Asking what
others want or why can quickly clarify how to best address a situation.

8. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Training: Provide training for both leadership and team
members to develop EQ, improving communication, empathy, and conflict resolution.

OBSTACLES: Here we are clearly

communicating the position of the
organization and its members and
depending on previous management
styles and the personalities of team
members, it is likely that many will be
apprehensive or resistant to any proposed
changes.

SOLUTIONS: Transparency and

consistency in messaging is essential so be specific and always start and end with focusing on
the overall Vision. Take every opportunity to collaborate with team members to clearly
communicate their role in achieving organization goals and success.

RESULTS: Transactional leaders will often see developing members into leaders as a threat to
their authority or fear losing a member who outgrows their role. Transformational leaders
realize that championing the growth of all members will create strong performers who attribute
their success to you and the organization, increasing retention, decreasing the need for external
recruitment, fostering commitment and building allies within the broader community with
those who do grow beyond the organization. By understanding the professional and personal

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sides of one another, teams will become more resilient to stress, change, and changelings while
demonstrating high-performance through efficiency and effectiveness.

Active communication to discover WHY

The roles of QA and QI coaching systems

EXAMPLE of integrating coaching, feedback, and development

into a learning culture.

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1.2.1 Continuing Learning and Skill Development

What It Is: Continuous learning involves creating opportunities for team members to develop
their skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis. This could include formal training, workshops, or
on-the-job learning.

Why It’s Important: In high-consequence environments, staying up to date with the latest skills
and knowledge is crucial. Continuous learning helps employees grow professionally, increases
job satisfaction, and ensures that the team remains adaptable to new challenges and
technologies.

Actions:

• Micro-Learning Opportunities: Offer short, focused learning sessions that can be easily
integrated into daily workflows.

• Skill Audits: Regularly assess the competencies of the team to identify skill gaps and
areas for improvement.

• Learning Culture: Foster a culture of continuous learning where team members are
encouraged to pursue personal and professional development and share their
knowledge with others.

Potential Problems:

• Overwhelmed by Learning
Demands: Too many or too long
training sessions or an imbalanced
operations (op) tempo that makes
additional training feel like even
more work, can overwhelm team
members, leading to resistance or
burnout.

• Training Relevance: Training must be relevant and communicating this and selling the
benefit of the training is a leader’s responsibility.

Solutions:

• Introduce micro-learning opportunities that allow for quick, manageable learning

sessions that don’t disrupt daily responsibilities.

• Regularly conduct skill audits of departments or teams to ensure training is targeted and
relevant.

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• Create a culture of learning by integrating quality assurance systems into normal
operations, building continuing education into the routine op tempo, encourage learning
opportunities individual growth by providing opportunities to members, celebrate
learning and successes in learning.

Expected Results:

• A learning culture fosters innovation and growth, while ongoing development ensures
that the team remains competitive and capable of handling new challenges. Beyond
improving performance and developing new skills, investing and caring about the
professional development of the team and its members will be appreciated, internalized,
and often reciprocated by members who feel valued by being invested in.

1.2.2 Structured Feedback and Coaching Systems

What It Is: A structured feedback and coaching system provide regular opportunities for
performance evaluations, development guidance, and recognition of achievements. It ensures
consistent communication between leaders and team members about performance and
growth.

Why It’s Important: Continuous feedback helps individuals improve and stay aligned with the
team’s objectives. Coaching builds a culture of learning and development, while recognition
boosts morale. Structured feedback systems ensure that no one is left in the dark about their
performance or how to improve.

Actions:

• Quarterly Check-ins: Go beyond annual reviews by implementing frequent performance

reviews that allow for real-time adjustments and feedback and culminate in annual
performance reflection. Annual reviews can be a cumulative reflection of quarterly
"performance alignments" or "development reviews."

• Peer Feedback System: Encourage team members to provide constructive feedback to

each other to promote mutual accountability.

• Real-Time Recognition: Create a system that allows for immediate recognition of

outstanding work. Publicly acknowledging achievements and celebrating success
reinforces positive behaviour.

• 360-Degree Feedback: Gather comprehensive feedback from all levels (peers,

subordinates, and supervisors) to provide a holistic view of an individual’s performance.

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Potential Problems:

• Feedback Frequency: Infrequent feedback such as annual performance reviews

conducted in isolation of other performance checks leave team members feeling
disconnected from their progress or uncertain about how to improve in real-time.

• Feedback Approaches: One solution fits all approaches to feedback can hinder
performance, create resistance to change, or even incite conflict. LinkedIn Learning
(unsponsored), for example, has a range of short professional development certificate
classes on the topic that help you approach each member and their unique needs
effectively. A great example for me was the "Autism in the Workplace" class.

Solutions:

• Implement quarterly reviews and regular feedback sessions to keep team members
updated on their performance and aligned with goals. Establish a peer feedback
system to foster mutual accountability and growth.

Expected Results:

• Team members receive continuous support and feedback, allowing them to course-
correct in a timely manner and develop more effectively. The organization sees improved
performance and engagement because of ongoing coaching and recognition. Feedback
becomes a tool for development and growth rather than a source of anxiety.

1.2.3 Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Development

What It Is: EQ is the ability to understand and manage one’s emotions and the emotions of
others. High EQ leads to better communication, conflict resolution, and team dynamics.

Why It’s Important: Teams with high EQ are better equipped to handle stress, resolve conflicts,
and collaborate effectively. Emotional intelligence is crucial in high-consequence environments,
where stress levels can be high, and effective communication and relationships are essential for
success.

Actions:

• EQ Training: Provide training to improve emotional intelligence skills such as self-

awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation for both leaders and team members.

• Modelling EQ: Leaders should model emotionally intelligent behaviours, such as staying
calm under pressure, showing empathy, and handling conflicts diplomatically.

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Potential Problems:

• Resistance to Emotional Intelligence: Some team members or leaders may see

emotional intelligence as a “soft skill” and may not prioritize it. Member 'buy-in' can
often be difficult when it comes to EQ and one alternative approach is to focus on on-
boarding those who will be more likely to be persuaded first and then through the law of
diffusion the others will follow. Simon Sinek provides a lesson and an example of how
you can implement this in your teams [though you should never segregate your
members by demographic criteria].

Solutions:

• Emphasize the tangible benefits of EQ for improving performance, communication, and

team cohesion.

• Provide examples of how high EQ leads to better decision-making, stress management,

and stronger team dynamics.

• Leaders must model EQ behaviours to set an example for the team.

Expected Results:

• Teams with high emotional

intelligence experience fewer
conflicts, better communication,
and improved teamwork.
Emotional intelligence enables
team members to manage stress
more effectively, leading to
greater resilience and stability in
high-pressure situations.

Aids to Learning:

Examples of a continuing learning and

development plan and of a peer
feedback and 360-degree feedback
documents are available in .docx form
directly from my website

Approaching feedback and collaborative growth is important. Here

Chris Donnelly quickly details several useful tactics.

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1.3 Trust
WHAT: Trust and psychological safety
refer to a work environment where
team members feel safe to express
ideas, take risks, and make mistakes
without fear of embarrassment or
punishment.

WHY: A psychologically safe work

environment promotes innovation
and creativity, as individuals feel
secure in expressing ideas and
providing feedback. It also reduces
fear, encouraging team members to
take ownership of their responsibilities. Creating safe psychosocial work environments and
championing a culture of responsibility and collaboration further builds on the trust that is
created through empathetic practices.

HOW:

• Anonymous Feedback Mechanisms: Offer anonymous channels for team members to

share concerns or provide feedback without fear of repercussions.

• Team Agreement: Co-create a team agreement, which is essentially a team level code of
conduct, that emphasizes respect, open communication, and inclusion to ensure team
members feel supported. This should be a living document that goes beyond
organizational culture as clearly defined in the broader

• Risk-Taking Culture: Encourage team members to take calculated risks, framing failures
as learning opportunities rather than mistakes to be punished.

• Conflict Resolution Protocol: Implement clear and structured conflict resolution

mechanisms to address interpersonal disputes constructively.

• Training: Conduct training on active listening, conflict resolution, and trust-building to

create a psychologically safe environment.

OBSTACLES:

• Fear of Taking Risks: Team members may hesitate to share new ideas or make decisions
if they fear failure or criticism, particularly when transitioning from an old system where
dominant voices controlled discourse.

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• Hesitance to Change: As illustrated in
the FoMoCo example below,
changing from a culture of fear can
take time and members will likely be
hesitant to trust again and take the
risk of changing.

SOLUTIONS:

• Foster a risk-taking culture where

failure is seen as a part of learning
and innovation.

• Lead by example, take responsibility for mistakes transparently communicating what

you learned and how you will improve moving forward. Be patient and consistently
emphasize you message of open team dialogue and collaboration.

• Ensure that psychological safety training and anonymous feedback systems are in place
to help team members voice concerns safely.

RESULTS:

Team members feel comfortable taking risks and sharing innovative ideas. The team becomes
more creative and adaptable, and conflict is handled constructively, leading to increased team
cohesion and reduced tension.

FoMoCo, 2006
The story goes that in 2006 an embattled and near-bankrupt FoMoCo convinced Alan
Mulally to come aboard as CEO. Alan immediately set to tackling a long-standing culture of
fear, starting at the c-suite level, employing high-performance and transformational
leadership practices to revitalize innovation and mission focus within the company. Mark
Fields, now CEO of FoMoCo, is said to be one of the first to step up to the challenge of
speaking openly and honestly about the company's state, asking for help in developing a
solution to the problem he identified. Quickly, as one executive began to trust, so did the
others, and together as a team, they rapidly developed and iterated solutions that enabled
the brand to go from a projected 2006 US$17bn loss to profitability and avoid government
bailouts during the 2008 recession.
Except from an article about leadership agility and flexibility that demonstrates the positive impact of
collaborative, fear-free organizational culture.

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Aids to Learning:

Examples of a conflict resolution protocols are available in .docx form directly from my website
and are also explained below.

Conflict Resolution Protocol Example

This example adopts an alternative dispute resolution approach, attempting to solve conflict at the lowest level while balancing
member wellbeing, operational priorities, and organizational and team codes of conduct.

A more detailed version can be found for download at www.jasonopdebeeck.com/samples/.

Process (Short Form):

1. Identify the Conflict: Encourage team members to submit issues via a form or verbally.

2. Assign a Mediator: Designate a neutral party (manager or HR) to mediate.

3. Engage in Mediation: Meet with conflicting parties, discuss the issue openly, and allow both sides to present their
perspectives.

4. Develop Solutions: Collaborate on mutually acceptable solutions. Focus on compromise and finding common ground.

5. Monitor Resolution: Check-in at regular intervals (weekly or bi-weekly) to ensure the resolution is holding.

Example:

Conflict: Mary and Sarah disagree over task ownership, causing

tension and reduced productivity.

Mediation: A neutral HR mediator facilitates an open discussion

where both employees share their perspectives.

Solution: They agree on a task-sharing plan based on their strengths,

with clear responsibilities and a set timeline.

Follow-up: Weekly check-ins are scheduled to ensure the plan is

effective and to prevent future conflicts.

1.3.1 Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Development

What It Is: PsyCap refers to an individual’s positive psychological state, characterized by four
components: self-efficacy (confidence), optimism, hope, and resilience. Developing PsyCap is
essential for maintaining a positive and productive work environment, particularly in high-stress
settings.

Why It’s Important: In high-consequence environments, where stress and pressure are
constant, building PsyCap helps team members remain confident, resilient, and optimistic even
in challenging situations. This leads to greater perseverance and adaptability, reducing burnout
and turnover.

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Actions:

• Resilience and Stress Management Training: Provide training such as scenario exercises
and ROC drills to help team members build resilience and cope with stress in high-
pressure situations.

• Optimism and Hope: Cultivate a positive work environment by celebrating wins, framing
challenges as opportunities for growth, and encouraging team members to maintain a
hopeful outlook during difficult times.

• Safe Communication: Feedback loops, open door policies, safe discourse policies, are all
options for safe and open mediums to communicate stress and feelings surrounding how
members are coping and managing stress.

Potential Problem:

• Burnout and Low Morale: Without proper support, team members may experience
burnout, low morale, and a loss of motivation in high-consequence environments.

Solutions:

• Offer resilience and stress management training to provide team members with tools to
cope with pressure.

• Encourage a culture of optimism and hope by regularly celebrating successes and

framing challenges in a positive light.

Expected Results:

• Team members develop a stronger psychological foundation, allowing them to handle

stress more effectively and remain confident and motivated. This results in a more
resilient, optimistic, and engaged workforce, capable of navigating high-pressure
situations with ease.

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1.4 Purpose
WHAT: Pro-social purpose connects the work of the team to a larger mission, demonstrating
how individual contributions positively impact society, customers, or the organization. Purpose
gives meaning to the team's efforts, especially in high-consequence industries and it is essential
that each team member internalizes this mission and understands how their specific role
contributes to the overall objective. This internalization transforms the organizational vision and
goals from theory and into personal commitments which drives each team member to align
their daily tasks with the overall mission of the organization and more broadly aligns the team in
the pursuit of mutually desired outcomes.

WHY: When team members understand how their work contributes to a broader purpose, they
are more motivated and engaged. A sense of meaning in work fosters higher commitment,
resilience, and satisfaction, particularly in high-consequence environments.

HOW:

• Mission Alignment Sessions: Hold regular sessions to connect individual contributions

with the organization’s broader mission.

• Communication Model: Use the WHO Model (What We Do, How We Do It, and For
Whom We Do It) to clearly communicate purpose.

• Team Storytelling: Leaders should regularly communicate the impact of the teams work
and present tangible by sharing stories, updates, and testimonials from the field that
highlight the real-world outcomes. These narratives will help to bridge the gap between
daily tasks and the broader mission, making the purpose feel more immediate and
personal but is predicated on empathy, trust, and psychosocial safety being present
throughout the culture of the team

• Purpose-Driven Feedback: During feedback sessions, highlight how individual work

contributes to the broader mission, emphasizing purpose beyond immediate tasks.

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• Collaboration: Team members should be regularly included in discussions about the
mission’s progress and challenges can further solidify their connection to the purpose,
as it allows them to see the direct link between their contributions and the positive
changes being made.

The competing values framework. "Adapted from “The Competing Values of Leadership, Effectiveness, and
Organizational Theory” by Cameron & Quinn, 2011, p.53, as cited in Marshal, G, 2019, p. 13.

OBSTALCES:

• Disconnect: Team members may lose sight of the broader mission if their day-to-day
tasks are disconnected from the organization’s larger goals.

• Managing Failure: Internalization strengthens resolve and sustains performance but

when failures arise members can personalize the consequences that these have leading
to inner conflict or operational stress injuries.

SOLUTIONS:

• Conduct mission alignment sessions regularly to keep team members focused on the
larger purpose. Use the WHO model to ensure everyone understands how their work
contributes to the overall mission.

• When failures occur, leaders must guide their teams towards acknowledging,
understanding, learning, and improving. Non-financial benefits such as health resources
can aid in helping individual members work through the stresses of high-consequence
failures, and leaders must support the teams through these.

Expected Results:

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Team members are motivated by a sense of purpose, seeing how their work has a positive
impact beyond their immediate tasks. Engagement and commitment to the organization’s
mission increase, leading to greater job satisfaction and teams are adaptable and flexible to
change and stress.

1.4.1 Performance-Based Rewards and Recognition

What It Is: Performance-based rewards and recognition are systems that acknowledge, and
reward employees based on their achievements, contributions, and performance. Research by
Walden University on 9-11 PSAP's found that non-financial based rewards were a highly
effective along with ensuring a balanced culture.

Why It’s Important: Recognizing and rewarding performance increases motivation, encourages
excellence, and reinforces positive behaviours. It helps team members feel valued and
appreciated, which can lead to higher engagement and job satisfaction.

• Tangible and Non-Tangible Rewards: While financial rewards are often outside the
scope of public high-consequence organizations, ensuring that health and other wellness
services are easily accessible and briefed to all members such as the Government of
Canada's Employee Assistance Program. Non-financial rewards, such as public
acknowledgment, career development opportunities, and flexible work hours are cost-
effective incentives that increase member satisfaction.

• Team-Based Rewards: Promote collaboration by offering rewards based on team

performance, which encourages a collective effort toward shared goals.

• Immediate Recognition: Implement systems for recognizing achievements in real-time,

rather than waiting for formal reviews.

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Potential Problem:

• Overemphasis on Financial Rewards: Focusing solely on financial incentives can

undermine intrinsic motivation and lead to a transactional work environment.

Solutions:

• Strive to create a balanced culture that values high-performance and member wellness.

• Employ a competing values framework periodically to assess the organizations culture.

Expected Results:

Team members feel valued and appreciated for their contributions, leading to higher
engagement and sustained motivation. A balanced reward system ensures both individual and
team efforts are recognized, creating a culture of excellence and collaboration.

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2 Integrating HPWS into Organizational Culture

"Organizations must say

they care, but leaders are
the ones that must show

Chapter 1 details the methods and justification for a comprehensive HPWS for high-
performance teams and we will now look at the organizational benefits of crafting a positive
organizational culture and the need for a balanced approach for high-consequence industries.

A well-implemented HPWS goes beyond boosting productivity and operational efficiency; it

plays a crucial role in shaping and sustaining an organization’s culture and driving success.
Organizational culture is the shared set of values, norms, behaviours, and practices that guide
how work is done within an organization. It influences everything from how decisions are
made to how employees collaborate and engage with each other. For high-consequence
environments the stakes are higher, making the alignment of HPWS with a strong, balanced
organizational culture even more critical.

Why a Balanced Culture is Essential for High-Consequence Work Environments

A balanced organizational culture combines elements of high performance, psychological
safety, employee well-being, and clear accountability. In high-consequence environments,
employees are often faced with intense pressure, rapid decision-making, and life-or-death
situations, which means that a purely performance-driven culture can lead to burnout,
disengagement, and errors. On the other hand, a culture that focuses solely on psychological

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safety and well-being without clear goals and accountability may suffer from underperformance
and inefficiency.

Achieving a balanced culture means integrating both high performance and wellness, creating
an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and capable of performing at their
best, even under stress. This is supported by literature on organizational behaviour and
leadership, which highlights the need for both clear goals and expectations (clarity and
purpose) and a supportive, empathetic work environment (trust and empathy) for sustainable,
long-term success.

Achieving a Balanced Culture

The following are best practices based on current literature for cultivating a balanced culture in
high-consequence work environments and focuses on practices specific to culture creation and
that are beyond the actions found in chapter one.

1. Integrating Wellness Programs with WHAT TO KNOW MORE?

Performance Metrics:
For a case study that fully
• Any wellness program should be based develops the discussion of
on meeting member needs and wants. balanced culture in high-
In developing a plan, couple best consequence environments,
practices with member consultation to consider reading "Strategies to
collaboratively create a shared vision for Reduce Job Dissatisfaction within
the program and what its success would 911 Call Centres" by Gary Marshal
look like. (2019).

• Monitor and track the impact of wellness programs through KPIs, such as
response times, task completion, and members engagement and strive to iterate
and improve the program over time.

2. Autonomy with Accountability:

• Empower employees to make decisions in their roles but tie this autonomy to
measurable outcomes through an accountability framework. This ensures that
employees can take ownership of their work while maintaining alignment with
team and organizational goals and meet critical performance standards.

• Members can be empowered by providing them leadership opportunities such as

leadership positions in small wellness projects, noting that these are secondary
duties to their primary team function.

3. Providing Flexibility and Support:

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• Offer flexible work schedules where possible to allow for rest and recovery,
especially after high-stress situations.

• Provide employees access to wellness resources such as mental health support,

time-off policies, and opportunities for professional development.

4. Leadership Commitment:

• Leadership plays a pivotal role in promoting a balanced culture. Leaders must

embody the values they wish to see in their teams, promoting trust,
psychological safety, and empathy. Leaders who demonstrate transparency,
admit to their own mistakes, and champion the well-being of their teams set the
tone for a supportive culture that balances performance with care.

2.1 Autonomy and Accountability

What It Is: Autonomy involves giving team members the freedom and the confidence to make
decisions within their roles, while accountability ensures that they are responsible for the
outcomes of those decisions.

Why It’s Important: Empowering team members with autonomy leads to greater ownership,
creativity, and job satisfaction. When combined with accountability, it ensures that decisions
align with the organization’s goals and that individuals are held responsible for their actions.
While the degree to which high-consequence industries are able to delegate authority down
varies, opportunities to empower should be offered where reasonable.

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Western militates with robust senior non-commissioned officer corps are examples to extreme
delegation of authority, and even in basic training, members act as team leaders and all soldiers,
sailors, and air persons must independently make high-consequence decisions. The converse is
true in professions such as 9-11 operators, where strict protocols and structured decision-
making frameworks are necessary to ensure consistency and minimize errors. In such
environments, while there is less room for autonomy, employees can still be empowered
through decision-making within defined parameters, giving them ownership over how they
execute specific tasks. This balance of autonomy and accountability, whether in high-
consequence military settings or tightly controlled emergency call centres, ensures that
individuals remain engaged, perform effectively under pressure, and contribute to
organizational success while maintaining alignment with critical safety and operational
standards.

Actions:

• Delegation of Decision-Making: Allow team members to make decisions related to their

work without needing constant oversight. REMEMBER: Leaders can delegate authority
but never responsibility.

• Accountability Framework: Create clear, measurable outcomes that tie autonomy to

accountability, ensuring that decision-making is both empowered and responsible.

• Set Clear Boundaries for Decision-Making: Define the scope of decisions that members
are empowered to make, ensuring that they understand where their autonomy begins
and ends. This provides clarity and prevents overreach while still fostering a sense of
ownership.

• Delegate Responsibilities with Defined Outcomes: When assigning tasks, provide

members with the freedom to determine how they will achieve the desired results, but
hold them accountable for meeting specific, measurable outcomes.

• Use a Structured Accountability Framework: Implement tools like performance

dashboards, project management software, or regular reporting systems that enable
members to track and share their progress while ensuring alignment with organizational
objectives.

• Encourage Risk-Taking within Safe Parameters: Allow members to make decisions,

experiment, and take calculated risks within a safety net. Establish clear guidelines for
acceptable risks and emphasize learning from both success and failure. Training
exercises, rehearsal of concept (ROC) drills, and other types of scenario training will help
develop experience safely and are further enhanced by robust feedback and review
mechanisms.

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• Provide Continuous Feedback: Set up regular feedback loops, such as one-on-one
meetings or team reviews, to provide constructive feedback on decisions and actions.
This helps reinforce accountability while guiding future decision-making and provides
opportunities to celebrate successes and also learn from areas that can be improved.

• Recognize and Reward Accountable Autonomy: Acknowledge and reward employees

who effectively exercise their autonomy while maintaining accountability. This reinforces
the positive behaviour of taking ownership and delivering results.

• Foster a Culture of Trust and Support: Build an environment where members feel
confident in making decisions without fear of punishment for genuine mistakes. This
trust enhances their willingness to take initiative and hold themselves accountable.

• Provide Autonomy Over Process, Not Just Outcomes: When reasonable and possible,
provide members control over how they approach their tasks, including choosing
methods or tools, as long as they achieve the agreed-upon results. This enhances
creativity and problem-solving.

Potential Problem:

• Inconsistent Decision-Making: If the boundaries for decision-making are not clearly

defined, employees may make inconsistent decisions, leading to confusion, errors, or
inefficiencies within the team.

• Overstepping Authority: Without clear guidelines, some employees may overstep their
delegated authority, making decisions outside their expertise or role, which could lead
to unintended consequences or conflicts with other departments.

• Fear of Taking Risks: Even within set parameters, employees may be reluctant to take
risks, fearing failure or punishment, which could stifle innovation and creativity,
particularly in high-consequence environments.

• Over-reliance on Feedback: If continuous feedback is too frequent or overly critical,

employees may become reliant on external validation rather than developing confidence
in their own decision-making, which can undermine true autonomy.

• Lack of Trust: In environments where employees do not feel fully trusted by leadership,
the delegation of autonomy may be viewed with suspicion, leading to disengagement or
reluctance to take initiative.

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Solutions:

• Clearly define decision-making boundaries by providing detailed guidelines, role-

specific responsibilities, and examples of acceptable decisions. Implement a decision-
making framework like RACI to standardize processes.

• Establish clear decision-making authority levels and communicate them to all

employees. Provide training on role boundaries and implement a check-and-balance
system where supervisors review key decisions.

• Foster a supportive culture where calculated risks are encouraged, and failure is seen as
a learning opportunity. Offer training on risk management and provide reassurance that
reasonable risks will be supported.

• Establish a balanced feedback schedule that empowers employees to trust their

judgment. Shift from frequent corrective feedback to strategic feedback during periodic
reviews to develop independence.

• Build trust by empowering employees incrementally, allowing them to handle smaller

decisions first. Leadership should model trust by openly delegating responsibility
and recognizing successful autonomous decisions.

Expected Results:

Team members feel empowered to take initiative and make decisions, leading to increased
creativity and efficiency. Accountability ensures that these decisions are made responsibly,
aligning with team and organizational objectives.

The RACI model helps clarify roles and responsibilities in decision-making processes.

• Responsible: The person(s) who complete the task or make the decision.

• Accountable: The individual who is ultimately answerable for the task or decision and
ensures it is completed correctly.

• Consulted: The person(s) who must be consulted for input or advice before a decision
is made or action is taken.

• Informed: The person(s) who must be informed of the decision or outcome after the
task is completed.

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Thought Exercise

Balanced culture is more than time off, it is about organizations actively engaging in creating
work environments conducive to high-performance by taking care of their members. A person
who hand operates a machine that injures their hand is not going to be as productive as if they
are injury free;

• if the injury could have or should have been prevented by something within the
organizations control that is going to impact their performance, morale, and retention;

• if a supervisor or other leader is unsympathetic and fails to provide the time necessary
for the member to address the injury, performance, morale, retention, and trust will all
suffer;

• if the injury was a result of an error that could have been prevented by training and
development that the organization refuses to provide or provide time for then the teams
potential performance will never be attained, the members connection to the team and
organization will decrease, and again performance, morale, and retention will be
impacted;

Organizations must say they care but leaders are the ones that must show they care and we do
this in part by committing to wellness programs that alleviate and address the many personal
issues that arise in people's lives that can lead to distraction, exacerbate stress and burn-out,
and otherwise decrease performance.

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3 Implementation Process

The implementation of a HPWS requires careful planning and a systematic approach. High
consequence environments demand not only high performance but also resilience,
psychological safety, and adaptability to rapidly changing conditions. While every enterprise will
have its own systems and processes, the following is a generalized step-by-step approach to
systematically implementing a HPWS-based wellness program.

1. Initial Assessment and Discovery Phase

• Stakeholder Engagement and Buy-In: Engage key stakeholders to secure buy-in by

presenting the benefits of HPWS. Gather feedback to identify pain points and gaps in the
current system.

• Baseline Measurement: Collect data on current performance levels, well-being, and

team dynamics to establish a baseline for comparison after HPWS implementation.

2. Customization and System Design

• Tailor the HPWS: Adapt the system to the specific needs of the department by designing
role-specific frameworks and identifying KPIs to measure both individual and team
performance.

• Develop Collaboration Tools: Implement tools that facilitate communication,

collaboration, and feedback, such as task management platforms, real-time dashboards,
and anonymous feedback mechanisms.

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3. Pilot Implementation – Test and Adjust

• Select a Pilot Group: Start with a smaller unit to test the HPWS before scaling. Gather
feedback and make adjustments based on lessons learned during the pilot.

• Training and Development: Provide training for both leadership and team members on
the new system, including leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and resilience
training.

• Monitor Psychological Safety and Well-Being: Regularly assess the psychological safety
and well-being of the team during the pilot phase, using anonymous surveys and
wellness check-ins.

4. Full-Scale Rollout

• Expand Gradually: Once the pilot is successful, roll out the HPWS across the department
in stages, using the pilot group as champions for the system.

• Systemize Recognition and Rewards: Implement the recognition and rewards system
across the department to ensure that performance is continuously acknowledged and
celebrated.

5. Sustaining and Evolving the System

• Continuous Learning and Development: Offer ongoing training and development

opportunities to ensure team members stay up-to-date with new skills and knowledge.

• Foster a Culture of Innovation and Feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from team
members about the system’s effectiveness and foster a culture of continuous
improvement.

6. Evaluation and Scaling Beyond the Department

• Regular Performance Reviews: Conduct comprehensive reviews at regular intervals to

assess the effectiveness of the HPWS and make necessary adjustments.

• Share Best Practices: Share success stories and best practices with other departments or
units to encourage broader adoption of the HPWS across the organization.

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SAMPLE: The Sales Pitch & Organizational Benefits

The following is a sample sales pitch for a HPWS based wellness program that focuses on
features and benefits as they relate to the enterprise,

"In today’s competitive, high-pressure work environments, employee well-being isn’t just a
"nice-to-have"—it’s a business imperative. Implementing a High-Performance Work System
that integrates wellness will boost workforce's resilience and will also translate directly into
measurable business outcomes. From reducing absenteeism and healthcare costs to
increasing productivity, innovation, and retention, a well-structured wellness program tailored
to our needs can be a game-changer.

Let me show you how adopting a High-Performance Work System based wellness strategy can
deliver substantial returns, both for our employees and our bottom line."

The full sample can be found at the online version of this article and include:

Features & Benefits

Implementation Process

Cost Considerations

Strength-Based Leadership and Cross-Training

3.1 Data-Driven Performance Metrics

What It Is: Data-driven performance metrics involve tracking KPIs using real-time data to
evaluate both individual and team performance.

Why It’s Important: By using data to assess performance, organizations can make informed
decisions, set accurate benchmarks, and identify areas for improvement. Data-driven metrics
create transparency and accountability, allowing for objective assessment rather than subjective
judgment.

• Advanced Performance Tracking: Use data analytics to track task completion, response
times, and quality of work to provide clear, measurable insights into performance.

• Real-Time Dashboards: Implement dashboards that provide an up-to-date view of

progress on key metrics. These allow both leaders and team members to track real-time
performance.

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• Predictive Analytics: Use data to anticipate future challenges such as burnout or delays.
Predictive models can provide early warnings so proactive measures can be taken.

Potential Problems:

• Overemphasis on Metrics: Focusing too much on numbers can lead to neglecting

qualitative aspects of performance, such as teamwork, creativity, or well-being.

Solutions:

• Balance quantitative data with qualitative assessments like peer feedback and employee
satisfaction surveys. Use metrics as a tool for improvement rather than
micromanagement, ensuring that the human side of performance is not overlooked.

Expected Results:

• Performance becomes more transparent and measurable, allowing the organization to

track progress, identify bottlenecks, and address issues before they escalate. Team
members can clearly see their progress and contribution, leading to better self-
regulation and improvement.

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4 Final Thoughts

Developing high-performance teams in high-consequence environments requires more than

just a focus on results; it demands a comprehensive approach that prioritizes the well-being,
trust, and development of each team member. By incorporating the principles of clarity,
empathy, trust, and pro-social purpose, leaders can foster a resilient and adaptable workforce.
Through consistent communication, continuous learning, and data-driven improvement, teams
are not only better equipped to handle the pressures of their roles but also to thrive in them.

Leadership by example is critical in setting the tone for the team, as actions must align with the
values being promoted. This holistic approach results in sustainable high-performance, where
teams are both flexible and adaptable to change, while remaining resilient in the face of
adversity. The true success of this system lies in creating an environment where team members
feel empowered, supported, and motivated to contribute to the greater organizational mission.
By embedding these principles into your leadership practice, you create not only a high-
performing team but a thriving one.

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