Performance Management & Strategy Execution Blog: The Glue

Don't Get Killed by an Anecdote

I was working with a client today whose Strategy Execution framework I'm helping to build and automate. When we were talking about setting good targets for some key performance measures, I was reminded of an important lesson I had learned years ago about effectively measuring service levels: hitting average service level targets is not enough.

Several years ago, I worked for a CRM company that managed the laptops of very large companies' sales forces. If a sales rep had a problem, he or she simply overnighted the laptop to our company, we fixed it, and overnighted it back. We targeted a 4-day turnaround. In reality, we almost always turned around repairs and shipped the unit back in one -- or at most two -- days. Great, right?

Well, sometimes there were problems. Sometimes an incoming unit was put in the wrong pile. Or the rep didn't put the right RMA number on it. Or it was shipped out without a label. Not to worry, though. These kinds of thing were REALLY rare and we were always within our targeted 4-day average.

Strategy Execution vs. Performance Management Software: What You Should Know (Part 4 - Performance Improvement)

In my introductory post on this topic, I explained my basic premise that there are major differences between Strategy Execution software and the broader category of Performance Management software and why I believe that only Strategy Execution software really helps an organization become more performance-focused. In Part 2, I highlighted specific software capabilities that I believe are key to supporting an organization's efforts to instill accountability. In Part 3, I talked about features that can drive strategic action. In this post, I'll talk about ways to ensure ongoing performance improvement.

Real improvement comes as a result of human interaction, the most productive forms of which are business reviews, program reviews, and personal goal assessments. I also believe strongly in the importance of identifying what's working in one area of an organization, then sharing and emulating  wherever applicable.

Here are some things I think you should look for if you're trying to use software to help support this human interaction: