Anton Roe, CEO at MHR
High performance is something every business aspires to, but achieving it, let alone sustaining it, is easier said than done. There is a significant divide between what finance teams and business leaders pay attention to when they think about how well their organisation is performing – and we want to explain why this might be.
Our research suggests that 91% of finance professionals believe their teams are high performing. But when you ask business leaders, that number plummets to 51%. This huge gap could well be holding organisations back from making the right strategic decisions and investments that drive change where it really matters.
Why the disconnect between teams?
It comes down to differing views on what drives high performance. Finance teams point to having the right skills, tools, and leadership stability, while leaders focus on operational excellence, agility, and talent retention. There’s even uncertainty amongst finance leadership, with 25% of department heads admitting they don’t think their CEO truly understands what high performance looks like. That’s an alarming statistic given those mixed signals from the CEO will likely filter through the organisation and cause further confusion for finance teams who don’t know how to achieve their objectives – or perhaps what their objectives even are.
There’s also a clear mismatch in how high performance is defined. Finance employees see financial success (43%), a highly skilled workforce (32%), and stable leadership (29%) as key markers of success. Leaders, on the other hand, put greater emphasis on agility, quick decision-making, and operational efficiency. This highlights a difference between finance teams who look for stability, while leaders prioritise adaptability. However, this isn’t about choosing one or another, it’s about striking a balance to achieve both.
Technology to the rescue
There’s no question that technology has a crucial role to play in closing this gap, with 100% of leaders and 99% of employees seeing digital tools as essential for high performance. What will define success for these organisations is ensuring that new tools aren’t implemented in vain, and that they actually streamline workflows rather than adding more friction.
Employees want financial software that integrates seamlessly into their daily workflows, real-time data access to make quick, informed decisions, and collaboration tools that don’t slow them down. If people are spending their day communicating via a workplace messaging app, then their finance tech should work smoothly within that environment too. The more friction that can be removed from technology, the more businesses can focus on what really matters – performance and growth.
Leaders also recognise the importance of technology, but they take a broader view. Many are calling for a single, connected platform that brings all organisational data into one place. Having finance, HR and payroll data integrated into a central system can create a clearer picture of real-time performance. It’s not just about having the right technology; it’s about making sure it’s working in a way that benefits the whole organisation.
Collaboration and culture matter
While technology plays a huge role in enabling high performance, it’s not the only element to consider. When we asked finance employees what holds them back in their roles, they pointed to a lack of collaboration, inefficient processes and skills gaps. In contrast, leaders cited issues with company culture, low productivity and a lack of access to key data and technology.
We believe that one of the biggest opportunities for improvement is aligning leadership and employees on what really drives high performance. Finance teams put a strong emphasis on engagement, clear communication and a shared vision, while leaders see talent retention and empowerment as the main drivers. If businesses can find a way to bring these equally valid priorities together, they’ll begin building an environment where everyone is clear on what is expected of them and why it contributes to the overall direction of the business – crucial ingredients for any high performance organisation.
Where do finance teams and leaders go from here?
The key to unlocking long-term high performance is simple to define but far more complex to execute. If leaders can align their people, technology, and culture towards a shared set of goals around high performance, they will create the framework for success. Businesses that actively bridge the gaps between finance teams and leadership, embrace digital transformation, and create a truly collaborative environment where new ideas can be shared and everyone has a voice, will likely be the ones that thrive in the long term.
It’s not enough to just talk about high performance in quarterly meetings and then get straight back to the day job the following week. It must be built into the foundations of the organisation. That means breaking down those much-discussed operational silos, giving people the tools they require to streamline their day-to-day workflows, and ensuring leaders set a consistent tone of vision and execution across the business. The companies that get this right will display resilience and lead their industries.
