| Haste makes waste, they say. And you can see it | | | | not perfection. What matters much more than precise |
| plain as day in how many organisations go about | | | | measures is how people feel about measuring. When |
| measuring performance. | | | | they feel more confident and engaged in measuring, |
| | | | | then the choice of measures will improve a little further |
| They tack a brainstorming session onto the annual | | | | down the road. |
| planning workshop and wonder why the measures | | | | Tip #3: |
| they end up with aren't relevant to their goals, why | | | | Forget consultation. Instead, schedule meetings or mini |
| no-one really has ownership of the measures, why the | | | | workshops for people to circle around a table and |
| measures don't bring insight to decision making. | | | | have a real dialogue about what matters enough to |
| Measurement is a process, not an event! It's a process | | | | measure. Unprecidented buy-in is the great reward |
| that takes time and effort to do properly. And it's one | | | | you'll get for your trouble. |
| of those things that you're better off not doing at all if | | | | Tip #4: |
| you don't do it properly. | | | | Remember that it takes time to clearly define how |
| | | | | each measure should be implemented. It takes time to |
| Make your performance measurement plan realistic, | | | | find where the data is, to set up new data collection |
| by allowing time for the most important parts of the | | | | processes, to extract data from systems, and to |
| experience: | | | | analyse it. Technology can make it faster and easier, |
| | | | | but it can still only do what it's told. |
| Tip #1: | | | | Tip #5: |
| Allow time for people to discuss and translate the | | | | Let it be iterative. You won't get a complete and |
| organisation's strategy into measurable results. Usually | | | | perfect set of measures first time through. Practice, |
| people don't have a shared and sensory understanding | | | | not perfection. Did I say that already? Hmm - it must |
| of the strategy, and need to talk about it in language | | | | be important. |
| that helps them see it, hear it, feel it. Language is the | | | | |
| difference between a goal that is measurable and one | | | | Performance measurement, done properly, is |
| that is immeasurable. | | | | transformative. But getting to that place where you |
| Tip #2: | | | | are doing it well is a transformation in itself. Allow time |
| Keep the momentum flowing by focusing on practice, | | | | for people to move through that transformation. |