INTERVIEW: How can cognitive science help? The better we understand how people think, act, interact, the better we can create these environments, the better we can create our tools, the more we can optimise the processes. The stronger more productive we can build the cultures to increase business performance.

If we strip away all the noise, we find that success, for any business hinges on two key elements; strategy, or the decision about where to play and how to win and execution. The sum of the decisions of staff and their actions which bring that strategy to life.

Every organisation is made up of people, processes and technology. And that’s why at Kognitive we use this lens to examine the seven key areas of a business’s execution. We call this lens, the Performance Pyramid.

The first area, direction. Does your organisation have a clearly articulated vision? Is it easy to understand and remember. Have the markers or metrics of success being defined? Supporting direction are the two facets of alignment.The first is intellectual alignment. It’s about every employee cognitively understanding how their roles and goals contribute to the success of the business.

The second is about emotional alignment. It’s about people taking action not because they have to but because they’re inspired to.

Complementing alignment is accountability. Cultivating accountability in businesses is as much about process as it is about culture. Does your organisation have planning and review processes, which helps keep staff on track and accountable? Can people depend on each other to submit quality work on time and on budget?

The first three areas should be built on a foundation of speed and agility. Does your technology, your processes or your culture enable your organisation to execute and adapt efficiently?

Focus is arguably the most precious resource that we have, not just as a business but as humans. It’s required for everything we do from swinging a golf club to concentrating at work, to holding a conversation. And it’s under siege like never before in human history. Is focused recognise that a precious resource in your business? Or is it squandered to whoever screams the loudest?

At the centre of every organisation are people and their success hinges on the ability of these people to collaborate effectively. Trust, social cohesion, psychological safety, are they part of the social fabric of your business?

Leaders play a critical role across all of the six domains. Leaders create that direction and clarity. They cultivate the accountability and the alignment. They instil the speed and agility, they fortify focus, they fuel collaboration. Is your organisation set up to cultivate and nurture high performance leadership.

While most of the performance pyramid is common sense, ask yourself is it common behaviour at your organisation?