The origins of the current ODS began when Work Systems recognized that developing management skills and providing assistance with management styles was important, but insufficient for the creation of a high performance workforce. This led to a fundamental question: “What are the characteristics of a high performance work environment or work force and what does an organization have to do to create one?”

Based on this unanswered question WSA undertook a multi-year research and development effort that eventually became the ODS.

After developing the initial conceptual model WSA asked a number of clients to participate in validating the model and the core performance issues that were termed “elements”. As a consequence, a revised model, that more appropriately aligned with the core “People Factors” affecting performance, was developed.

The pool of companies for this validation was compiled from four lists: Fortune 500; Business Week 500; Forbes 500 and Inc. Magazine. The list was developed in a comparative way until we had the top 100 performing companies.

Over 40 companies participated and formed the basis of a validated set of questions, a database for comparison, and the average of the database. To create the benchmark of top performing companies WSA analyzed the results and found there were four companies who scored higher than all of the others.

These four companies are quite diverse. One was in the men’s retail clothing industry.
The second company was a computer software company in the Northeast U.S. The third company was an industrial company that manufactured and distributed fork lift trucks in the Midwest. The fourth company was a high-tech company, with a large operation in Canada. These four companies ranged widely in size, industry, and geographic location, indicating the lack of any inherent cultural bias in the ODS based on size, industry, location etc.

To validate the performance of these four companies we examined them carefully and found that in every case these companies were indeed considered to be benchmark competitors in their respective marketplace. They received the highest ratings in terms of the way the employees felt about the firm; in terms of how competitors viewed them; and in terms of their overall growth and financial performance. These four companies created our initial overall benchmark profile.

The first generation ODS represents the accumulated research of nine years, the participation of more than 130 organizations and data from more than 18,000 individuals. Since then it has continued to be refined and polished.

When companies increase the performance of these key elements, WSA has consistently observed improvements in bottom-line ability to compete within the marketplace.

As companies acquire hard measures for these soft human elements, they are able to more effectively focus and develop improvements in these key areas.