Excellence Indicators – Leadership Category

>  Senior leaders have developed a clear vision, mission  and set of values which drive excellence and they personally exemplify the values

>  Senior leaders are personally involved in communicating the organisation’s directions to key stakeholders and in engaging them for regular feedback

>  Senior leaders drive the organisation’s performance and engage key stakeholders to contribute to such efforts

>  Senior leaders advocate an organisational culture which embraces organisational change, and employees are empowered to innovate and take responsible risks

>  Senior leaders role model desired behaviours and are committed to grooming future leaders for organizational sustainability

>  Employees are committed to the organisation’s mission and vision, and demonstrate the values in their work

>  The organisation has a well-defined corporate governance system to ensure business continuity and risk management, as well as accountability and transparency that is consistent with statutory and regulatory requirements or guidelines

>  The organisation has well-defined policies and programmes to contribute to the sustainable development of the community and environment which it operates in

1 Senior Leadership

Interpretation Notes

How senior leaders guide the organisation to achieve and sustain excellence

Describe how the organisation’s senior management:

a. Develops the organisation's mission, vision and values, and communicates them to key stakeholders

b. Engages key stakeholders to drive the organisation's performance

c. Acts as role models and grooms future leaders

N1. Excellence is when organisations achieve and sustain outstanding levels of performance that meet or exceed  the expectations of all their stakeholders

N2. Senior leaders may personally communicate the organisation’s mission, vision and values through their involvement in employees’ performance reviews and appraisals, learning and development, and recognition

N3. Evaluation of leadership effectiveness may include an assessment of senior leaders by peers, direct reports, board of directors, and employees

2 Organisation Culture

Interpretation Notes

How the organisation develops a culture that is consistent with its values, and encourages learning, innovation as well as the achievement of strategic goals

Describe how the organisation:

a. Aligns the organisation's mission, vision and values

b. Enables learning, innovation and the achievement of strategic goals

c. Embraces organisational change for sustainability

N1. The organisation may demonstrate alignment of its culture with its mission, vision and values through its policies, practices and behaviours

N2. The organisational culture may be interpreted through the lens of intrinsic behaviours, values and assumptions that are communicated to new employees when they are inducted into the organisation

N3. The organisation may embrace organisational change for sustainability by ensuring that its culture, values, desired behaviours, policies and programmes equip leaders and employees with the ability to learn quickly and make sound and timely decisions based on available information, experience and knowledge

N4. A sustainable organisation is capable of addressing current business needs and has the agility and strategies to prepare successfully for its future business, market and operating environment

3 Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility

Interpretation Notes

How the organisation maintains a governance system that practises good corporate citizenship, protects the interests of stakeholders and fulfils its responsibility to the community and the environment it operates in

Describe how the organisation:

a. Establishes a governance system to ensure accountability and transparency

b. Implements policies and involves stakeholders to contribute to the community and the environment

N1. The governance system may include, but is not limited to, the presence of management approval of the strategic direction, financial and human resource plans to meet strategic goals, review of management performance, organisational controls and risk management, compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements or guidelines, succession planning, ethical behaviour, conflict of interest

 policies, disclosure, reporting and audits

N2. The governance structure includes roles and responsibilities of key parties involved such as the organisation’s governance board, management and owners/shareholders

N3. The organisation should consider the potential impact of its products, services and operations on the environment

N4. The organisation’s responsibility to the community may include its efforts to strengthen local community services, education and health, sharing of best practices and involvement in the activities of trade, business and professional associations