In order to create alignment throughout the organization, it’s important to measure and communicate what’s important. We measure a lot of things, but it’s critical to boil down our key measures into 5 – 10 key items. A great way to do this is to pick key measures within the Critical Success Factors (CSF). That way you can be assured that the things you’re measuring and communicating are aligned with the Mission, Vision, and Values and that you’re achieving your mission. Here are some key points:
Measurement – once you have selected what to measure, it should be done in a disciplined manner. You should track the item, trend it over time, show your achievement relative to the prior year and the yearly goal and relate it to industry benchmarks (not averages, but top decile). A simple bar/line graph is a great way to do this. You should have bars representing the monthly results, one line representing the goal, one line representing prior year and one line representing the industry benchmark.
Communicate – the communication of your results should be to EVERYONE. The Board, Senior Leaders, front line staff, customers, vendors, and community should all see the same results. That way, there are no surprises and everyone can understand why certain decisions are made. Also, this creates the feeling of openness and “no secrets” that those constituencies want. Tip #4 will discuss how to Engage Employees as the result of the first 3 Tips.
