Many organizations have effectively adapted or “pivoted” in recent months, but CEOs and other leaders tell me, “We are working harder for every dollar than we ever have.” For many executives, there is a question in the back of their minds: “Can we sustain this?” In times like these, high performance and organizational improvement are more important than ever.
A recent client was improving processes in light of their recent “pivot” due to COVID. Earlier in the year, the firm had changed some processes to adapt to the new market and the “new normal.” Because of the pivot, the company was working harder for each dollar earned than in 2019, and it was not sustainable. To survive 2020 and plan for 2021, the client conducted strategic and tactical planning. As part of that effort, leadership collaborated with employees to find the obstacles in key processes; and as a result of feedback from employees, a planning team re-designed processes and job roles, and they clarified expectations (Step One in improving performance) related to job tasks. A vitally important aspect of their success was in identifying appropriate key measures (Step Two), creating and conducting effective communications (Step Three), and holding people accountable (Step Four).
A recent blog discussed the importance of clarifying expectations as part of improving employee performance. This blog focuses on measurement and communication. Holding people accountable will be a future blog.
In planning and executing improvements like the one above, defining key measures is important; and especially during times of transition, as with COVID, this is worth a new look. As part of clarifying processes, employee tasks, and activities (in line with organizational strategy) I often ask the planning group, “What should the key measures be? For these people in this process, what is the most important measure that most impacts your bottom line?” The reaction I often get does not really surprise me. Initially there are a few blank stares, but then one of the leaders will tell me what the organization is currently measuring, and often it is the number of activities being performed by individuals across the cross-functional process, and not the expected outcomes or results that directly impact the bottom line. Often, the most important measure isn’t being measured at all!
In your organization, are those key performance measures being measured? Or are you measuring activities? For many organizations, you may need to collaborate with IT to figure out how to get the needed data and then redesign the dashboard to reflect the information you really needed to have.
In making performance improvements like these, you want employees in the process to understand how their roles and tasks contribute to key performance measures and how they will be measured. Making this information clear and transparent allows employees and teams a clear sense of who does what in contributing to the bottom line, and how working together across the process makes things better for everyone.
Additionally, communication plays a vital role in making rapid and enduring improvement. Goals, measures, new job expectations need to be communicated to all employees with meetings, one-one-ones, and new, structured communication and measurement mechanisms. In the current business climate, you probably have some people working from home. In making improvements stick, more frequent communications with your WFH employees will be designed to support the remote employees through the change.
Assume that training will need to be done, especially considering how processes and roles changed because of adapting to COVID. Training and coaching become a big part of communications in supporting improvement. Communications must also be two-way in order to keep an open mind about employees’ ideas for continuous improvement.
Clarifying expectations, identifying optimal measures, and supporting the changes with communication mechanisms allow you to stabilize performance and streamline processes that may have become unpredictable—and do it quickly.
For assistance or discussion about improving performance and processes, contact us at [email protected] or https://www.linkedin.com/in/transformingorganizations/.
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