Rethinking performance culture
Time for an individual understanding of performanceNew performance culture in organiations
Between pointless slogging and the hammock – time for a new definition of performance
Low employee motivation is one of the most pressing problems for many organisations. Four in ten employees would quit immediately if they could afford to (Nink and Robison, 2022).
Engagement is declining, personal responsibility is lacking, and a sense of purpose is missing. Motivation and willingness to perform are no longer mere soft skills – they are decisive success factors: for innovation, for growth, for future viability.
At the centre lies a question that is rarely answered clearly:
What do we actually mean by performance in our organisation?
Performance culture is not just an HR tool – it is part of an effective corporate identity. And that is precisely why it must be defined: in dialogue, across all generations and hierarchical levels. Only when it is clear what performance means for a company can it be promoted, communicated and anchored in a targeted way.
Our services for organisations
Rethinking performance culture
A foundation for greater
joy in performance
Generation Z and performance –
a misunderstanding?
Contrary to many prejudices, the young generation is indeed willing to perform – but not at any price. What matters most to them is the question: “For what purpose?”
“Four out of five 16- to 18-year-olds are willing to put in a lot of effort – if they see meaning in their work.” (YouGov survey 2023, source: www.sueddeutsche.de)
And: “Only one in ten baby boomers still wants to work voluntarily until the statutory retirement age.” (Hasselhorn et al., 2019)
A lack of willingness to perform is therefore not a phenomenon of young people, but a cross-generational problem.
Organisations that can convey a sense of purpose today create identification – and thus the basis for motivation, initiative and top performance.
An organisation’s performance culture is as individual as the people who shape it.
Our offers for your organisation
Defining and living a performance culture
We support organisations on their journey towards their own lived performance culture. We clarify different interpretations of performance and bring them together into a clear picture – as an anchor and guiding framework for tomorrow’s performance, and as a connecting rope in everyday work. The defined performance culture also serves as a strategic basis for leadership, collaboration and development.
In doing so, we take inspiration from the success principles of Olympic champions and world champions such as Magdalena Neuner and Matthias Steiner – and translate these into everyday working life: mental strength, individual peak performance and team spirit as levers for sustainable business success.
Inspirational lecture:
Rethinking performance
A spark for greater joy in performance
Learning from world champions how to master challenges – in sport and in everyday working life:
- What is performance?
- How do we inspire a desire for performance in our organisation?
- How do we create a shared understanding of performance across generations?
Performance culture
audit
Assessing your organisation’s understanding of performance
We analyse how performance is currently perceived, assessed and experienced in your organisation:
- What unspoken ideals and expectations shape how people work together?
- Where do tensions arise – between generations, departments, and leadership styles?
- What motivates – and what demotivates?
Performance culture
workshops
Shaping your organisation’s individual understanding of performance
Together with managers and employees, we develop a specific, sustainable understanding of performance:
- What does performance mean to us – today and in the future?
- How do we foster individual peak performance without overburdening people?
- How do we anchor our understanding of performance structurally, personally and culturally?
The results
1
A common
understanding of performance that motivates rather than overburdens
2
A culture that enables performance rather than controlling it
3
A clear identity anchor for leadership, development, and organisational excellence
Keen on performance? But with purpose.
Let’s create a framework together,
in which performance motivates and connects.
The 7 cornerstones of a new performance culture
A modern performance culture is not based on control and pressure, but on attitude, purpose and intrinsic drive. The following seven principles form a new understanding of performance and are inspired by the best athletes and CEOs in the DACH region, as well as our work with over 200 organisations. They translate the new understanding of performance from the book “Peak Performer” (Magdalena Neuner, Christian Grams, Christopher Spall, 2023) into the corporate world.
1. No pain, no gain.
Performance requires commitment – and appreciation.
2. Progress through intrinsic motivation.
Motivation comes from within – not through external pressure.
3. Recognise performance limits consciously.
Being capable of performance also means recognising boundaries.
4. Turn mistakes into strength.
Those who allow mistakes enable growth.
5. Competition as motivation – without blind ambition.
Playful learning beats rigid performance pressure.
6. Leverage genuine role models.
People are inspired by attitude – not by titles.
7. See performance as part of a bigger picture.
Those who see the purpose go beyond themselves.
Podcast “New performance culture in organisations”
A 70-hour week is no more desirable than effortless wealth is sustainable in the long run.
The healthy middle ground lies somewhere between these extremes – defined by a shared understanding of performance.
In the podcast “Auf einen Kaffee mit…” (“Over a Coffee with…”), Christopher Spall – together with double Olympic champion and twelve-time biathlon world champion Magdalena Neuner – explains how organisations can find this path.
We want to encourage organizations explore their own individual understanding of performance.
Book “Peak Performer”:
Rethinking performance culture
“Peak Performer” is the first inspirational book for a meaningful performance culture
The inspirational book “Peak Performer – Learning to master real life from top performers” shows the path to peak performance in personal, previously unpublished stories from top performers such as Olympic champion Matthias Steiner, extreme sportswoman Anja Blacha, GlobeAir CEO Berhard Fragner, footballers Sven and Lars Bender and many more. and provides many impulses for the establishment of a new performance culture – in companies, in families and in society.
Peak Performer Foundation –
The foundation for greater joy in performance
Top performers from sport and business passing on values for achieving peak performance to children
The non-profit Peak Performer Foundation was founded by more than 30 high achievers from sport and business. It operates under the patronage of biathlon icon Magdalena Neuner.
All members of the Peak Performer Foundation work on a voluntary basis. Christopher Spall serves as the foundation’s managing director.
The foundation’s purpose is to pass on, in a playful way, the core values required to achieve peak performance – through sport and the charisma of Olympic champions and business leaders. By inspiring children to enjoy giving their best through positive role models, the Peak Performer Foundation contributes to a self-determined, ambitious and forward-looking society of tomorrow.
These principles are also my own principles. They are the key to my success.
That’s why I want to pass on exactly these lessons. They can help kids grow from within and shape their own identity. We don’t just want to help organisations and leaders move forward in a decisive way – we also want to help our children.
Inspirational lecture: Rethinking performance
Performance culture
audit
Performance culture workshop
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