绩效管理英文讲座.docx

绩效管理英文讲座.docx

《绩效管理英文讲座.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《绩效管理英文讲座.docx（14页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

绩效管理英文讲座

SteveSherretta

April27,2022

PerformanceManagement:

EnhancingExecutionThroughaCultureofDialogue

PeterisChiefExecutiveOfficerforamedicalsupplymultinationalthatrecentlycraftedanewstrategytocountercompetitivethreats.Theplanstressedtheneedtocutcycletime,concentratesalesonhigher-marginproductsanddevelopnewmarkets.

Fourmonthsaftercirculatingtheplan,Peterdida“walkaround”toseehowthingsweregoing.Hewasappalled.EverywherePeterturnedpeople,departments—wholebusinessunits—simplydidn’t“getit.”

Firstsurprise:

Engineering.Thegrouphadcutproductdesigntime30%,meetingitsgoaltoincreasespeed-to-market.Good.ThenPeteraskedhowmanufacturingwouldbeaffected.Itturnedoutthenewdesignwouldtakemuchmoretimetomake.Totalcycletimeactuallyincreased.“Ourstrategicplanmessageisnotreallygettingthrough,”Peterthought.

Secondsurprise:

Sales.Thenewstrategycalledforashift—emphasizehighmarginsalesratherthatpushingproductdownthepipelineasfastaspossible.ButjustabouteverysalespersonPeterspoketowasmakingtransactionalsalestohigh-volumecustomers;hardlyanyonewasbuildingrelationshipswiththemostprofitableprospects.Salesisdoingjustwhatit’salwaysdone,Peterthought.

Worstsurprise:

Evenhistopteam,thepeoplewho’dhelpedhimcraftthestrategy,wasnotstickingtoplan.Peteraskedateammember:

“Whyareyouspendingallyourtimemakingsurethenewmachineryisworkinginsteadofdevelopingnewmarkets?

”

“Becausemyunit’schiefgoalwastoimproveon-timedelivery,”heanswered.

“Butwhataboutcompanygoals?

”saidPeter.“Wecameupwithagoodplanandcommunicateditveryclearly.Butnowhereitisn’tbeingcarriedout.Why?

”

Manyorganizationscreategoodstrategies,butonlythebestexecutethemeffectively.FortunemagazineestimatesthatwhenCEOsfail,70%ofthetimeit’sbecauseofbadexecution.Weakexecutionispervasiveinthebusinessworld,butthereasonsforitarelargelymisunderstood.WhyisitthatnooneinPeter’sorganizationwasactinginsyncwiththestrategy?

Unlessweunderstandthereasons,wecan’thopetosolvetheproblem.

Imaginesomeonehittingatennisball.Whenthebrainsays“hittheball,”itdoesn’tautomaticallyhappen.Themessagetravelsthroughnervepathwaysdownthearmandcrossesgapsbetweenthenervecells.Thesegaps,or“synapses,”arepotentialbreaksintheconnection.Ifneurotransmittersdon’tcarrythemessageacrossthegap,themessagenevergetsthrough,oritgetsdistorted.Whenthathappens,eitherthearmdoesn’tmoveatall,oritmovesthewrongway.

Creatinga“cultureofdialogue”

Justlikeanervoussystem,organizationsalsohavegapsthatblockanddistortmessages.Thesecrettoeffectivestrategyexecutionliesincrossinghierarchicalandfunctionalgapswithclear,consistentmessagesthatrelaythestrategythroughouttheorganization.Soundsimple?

It’snot.Thereasonisthatthe“neurotransmitters”inorganizationsarehumanbeings—executiveteammembers,seniormanagers,middlemanagersandsupervisors—whosejobitistomakesurethatpeople’sbehaviorisalignedwiththeoverallstrategy.Doingwhatittakestoachievealignmentisverydifficult.ItiswhatRamCharancalls,the“heavylifting”ofmanagement,andit’sthekeytoexecutingstrategy.

Aswe’llseelater,thereisanimportantdifferencebetweencompaniesthatsuccessfullyalignbehaviorwithstrategyandthosethatdonot.Companiesthateffectivelyexecutestrategycreatea“cultureofdialogue.”Acultureofdialogueencouragespervasivetwo-waycommunicationswhereindividualsandgroups1）question,challenge,interpretandultimatelyclarifystrategicobjectives;and2）engageinregularperformancedialoguetomonitorbehaviorandensureitisalignedwithstrategy.

Threekeystomanagingperformance

Acultureofdialoguedoesn’thappeninstantly,anymorethanafluidtennisstrokedoes.Ittakespractice,persistenceandhardwork.Sohowexactlycanleadersensurethatstrategymessagesgoallthewaydowntheline—thatthetennisballgetshitcorrectly?

Thethreekeystomanagingperformanceeffectivelyare:

1.Achievingradicalclaritybydecodingstrategyatthetop.Manyorganizationsthinktheysendclearsignalsbutdon’t.Insomecases,managerssubordinatebroadstrategicgoalstooperationalgoalswithintheirsilos.That’swhathappenedwithPeter’stopteam.Elsewhere,topteammembersoftenhavetoomany“top”priorities—we’veseenasmanyas100inonecase—whichresultsinmixedsignalsandblurredfocus.Strategydecoderequireswinnowingprioritiesdowntoamanageablenumber—aslittleasfive.

2.Settingupsystemsandprocessestoensureclarity.Oncestrategyisclear,organizationsmustcreateprocessestoensurethattherightstrategymessagescascadedowntheorganiz