
The 5 Seconds Model
In search of ›high-performance DNA‹
Whether in sports, business, culture or politics – all high-performing teams display specific success factors that distinguish them from the merely good teams. But in what way do top teams ›tick‹ differently?
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen’s unconventional route to artistic and economic success was the basis for its collaboration with Dr Christian Scholz, Chair of Business Administration at Saarland University in Saarbrücken. Together, they analyzed how the orchestra consistently succeeds in delivering top performance, regardless of the given conditions in each case. The key to high performance was thus discovered and described for the first time in a generally applicable principle.
The formula for success is not perpetual harmony, but a conscious focus on dissonance and the tension of conflicts. This recognition led to the development of a training method for high-performing teams – the ›5 Seconds Model‹ – which is often booked by firms for coaching managers and top executives in business and industry. Here, workshop participants experience at first hand the thin line that differentiates the excellent from the very good, for example by picking up the conductor’s baton themselves or communicating effectively without speaking.

