An organisation's Values describe the principles and beliefs with which it wishes to work. To make Values inspire change it is imperative to identify the behaviours that support them and encourage all staff to adopt them (especially managers)

Research shows conclusively that people love to do more of what they are good at! Building on peoples' strengths and developing them towards excellence is highly motivating.

At all levels, excellent performers that generate clear value for the organisation should be rewarded highly and publicly. It is vital to send a clear message to everyone.

Customers - internal or external - are more important than the 'chain of command'. As much as possible, staff should be principally concerned to deliver to customers and be in touch with them at all levels.

It is essential that senior management agree on the drivers / activities that will most likely generate success, prioritise attention onto them and avoid distraction

Senior managers must demonstrate commitment to common vision and goals, focus people on 'key objectives' and allow others to manage details

Your best staff are your key asset! Organisations should identify staff that they cannot afford to lose and make special effort to recognise and retain them.

The negative effect of this seems obvious, yet occurs constantly. Senior managers should agree broad long-range goals and empower others to create local objectives to serve them.

Evidence shows clearly that over-emphasis on this fails to produce motivation to learn and improve performance

The organisation must focus on the customers and external environment. Political competition between internal departments can fatally weaken this.

Mixed messages from senior managers send negative messages throughout the organisation. Often viewed as 'healthy debate' it is in fact hugely destructive.

Senior management can be fixated on scrutiny of small items of expenditure, losing focus on goals, strategy. Can be fatal in the long term.

Training is often seen as a solution for performance goals, yet on its own, without reinforcement by management, it does not make much sustainable change.

This is important but over-rated. Managers must realise that what they do outweighs what they say. There is always a tendency to over-promise - better to do more and say less.

Organisations need to select for key jobs based on abilty and potential. Line function politics and 'silo' budgets must not distract from overall benefit.