Performance Improvement: Making it Happen

While organizations differ from each other, they are also alike in many ways. Regardless of whether they are large or small, not-for-profit or profit driven, these organizations usually face similar challenges, problems, and opportunities pertaining to performance. Based on the experiences of over 300 organizations, Performance Improvement: Making it Happen, Second Edition details an effective step-by-step approach toward improving organizational performance. It combines state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques in organizational development with many actual cases and experiences. The book is organized into three parts that are targeted at gaining the most from organizational performance: Getting It Started, Taking Action, and Making It Permanent. This second edition features real-world examples dealing with issues representative of those found in a variety of industries and the concepts and methods of improvement used. The final part provides readers with a plan for integrating many of the performance improvement interventions and programs previously discussed into an overall approach for making improvements successful and continuous. This final section also features three very different organizations that have used many of the performance improvement programs discussed in the book. Their measured progress in performance is highlighted.

Table of Contents:
Part I PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: GETTING IT STARTED Performance Improvement Efforts: They Are Everywhere An Overview of Today's Realities Performance Definitions Powerful Need for Performance Improvement Limited Success in Performance Improvement Organization: A Fortune 500 Communications Company with Worldwide Reach Specific Reasons Why Leaders Start Performance Improvement Organization: Small Consumer Services Company A Process Approach: The First Look Summary Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Performance Gaps and Deficiencies: An Overview for Facing Reality Organization: Chiropractic Partnership Leadership Definitions of Their Organization's Performance: The Ideal Case Organization: Webster University Performance at the Operational Level Organization: May Co. Inc., One of the Country's Largest Retailers (Recently Purchased by Federated) Goals, Standards, Key Performance Indicators, and Models of Effective Performance: Measures of Performance Identifying Areas of Performance Improvement Performance Improvement Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Deciding on Performance Improvement: Useful Concepts and Tools Introduction Organization: Matheny Heating and Cooling Service, Inc. A Process for Deciding About and Managing Performance Improvement: If / What / How? The General Model of Planned Change Overview The Four Stages Stage I: Entering and Contracting Stage II: Diagnosis Organizational Unit: A Large Information Technology Department Stage III: Panning and Intervention Organization: Motor Appliance Corporation Stage IV: Evaluation A Model of Effective Performance: The Organizational Success Model Organization: Ehrhardt Tool and Machine Company Suggested Action Steps End Notes Improving Performance for New Organizations Why This Chapter? Scenario 1: The New Start-up Organization Organization: A Healthcare Services and Products Firm Scenario 2: Mergers and Acquisitions Scenario 3: Significant Change in the Leadership of an existing Organization due to the Addition or Loss of Significant Leaders Organization: Landshire Sandwiches Inc. Scenario 4: A New Department or Unit within a Larger Organization when that Unit Will Be Permanent (i.e., not a temporary project team) Suggested Action Steps End Notes Performance Improvement and Goal Setting: Making the Strategic Vision Happen Introduction Characteristics of Effective Goals Sources of Resistance to Goal Setting Scottrade Company Benefits from Organizational or Team Goal Setting Cascading Goals Organization: Tone's Brothers Special Case: Large Teams in Big Organizations Organization: The Pro*Visions Pet Specialty Enterprises Sales Team for Ralston Purina, Co. (now a part of Nestle) Cascading Goals Down to the Individual Measuring Performance: Goals and Key Performance Indicators A Brief Case Study: Another Model of Effective Performance Organization: An Engineering Fabrication and Process Consulting Company Organization: Scottsdale Securities, Inc The Role of Feedback Organization: A Privately Owned Real Estate Company Managed by the Owner Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational Decision Makers End Notes PART II PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: TAKING ACTION Strategic Plan for the Organization: Where It All Starts Connecting Strategy to Prior Discussions Recommended Process for Creating Organizational or Team Strategy Component 1: The Strategic Timeframe and Identification of the Driving Force Organization: Tone's Brothers Component 2: The Strategic Concept Statement Component 3: Evaluation of the Current Situation Component 4: Strategic Objectives Cascading Goals Revisited and Extended Organization: Scottsdale Securities, Inc. (now Scottrade Inc.) Organization: Medium-Sized Law Firm (Roberts, Perryman, Bomkamp & Meives, P.C.) Organization: Development Department of an Average-Sized Private University (Webster University) Major Process Issues Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Building a Learning Organization: Importance and Methods Review and Linkage The Learning Organization: A Starting Point for Performance Improvement Performance Improvement Defining a Learning Organization Organization: Mid-sized Credit Union The Model for Growth: Learning and Skill Development Building Learning Organizations: Three Case Studies Case Study 1: Landshire Sandwiches, Inc. Case Study 2: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Case Study 3: Scottrade Inc. (see Chapters 3 and 6 for data on Scottrade) Summary and Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Selection, Strategy, and Performance: Process, Tools, and Techniques Introduction and Overview Sources of Information for Hiring Decisions Steps 1 - 5 Organization: Site Oil Company Organization: Ralston Purina Training Function (now Nestle Purina) Purina Selection Process (now Nestle Division), Pro*Visions Department Other Techniques for Effective Selection Three Additional Selection Issues Conclusion and Summary Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Leadership, Management, and Teamwork Introduction and Linkage Previous Chapters as a Linkage to Leadership, Management, and Teamwork The Importance of Leadership and Team Management Sources of and Changes in an Individual's Leadership and Management Behavior Importance of Leadership and Management in Organizational or Team Performance Revisited Model of Effective Management and Leadership Performance Managing and Leading Area 1: Management Values (Beliefs about People and Workers) Managing and Leading Area 2: Participation, Access, and Involvement (Participative Management) Managing and Leading Area 3: Interpersonal Competence and Communication Style Managing and Leading Area 4: Motivation: The Managers and Those They Manage Managing and Leading Area 5: Power and Empowerment Managing and Leading Area 6: Leadership Style Organization: Ranken Technical College Suggested Action Steps for Leaders and Managers End Notes Teams: Their Uses and Impact on Performance Linkage and Overview Some Areas for Teamwork When to Use Teams and When Not to Use Them A Model of Effective Teamwork Organization: ACF (American Car Foundry) Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service Teams Organization: A 20-Person Advertising Company Production Teams Company: Tone's Brothers Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Decision Makers End Notes Performance Management: Goals, Feedback, and Performance A Brief Review Related to This Topic The Role of Departments, Teams, and Individuals Call Center at Scottrade Company At the Individual Level A Model Effective Performance Management Program Organizations Doing PMPs Correctly Summary and Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Recent Programs Emphasizing Effectiveness and Efficiency How This Chapter Fits In Project Management An Overview of the Connection between Project Management and Organizational Development/Performance Improvement Two Manufacturing Interventions Related to Performance Improvement: Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Ehrhardt Tool and Machinery Company (see Chapter 3) Conclusion and Summary Suggested Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Performance Improvement Performance Improvement: Change, Learning, and Developing the Individual Introduction What Is Known about Developing Individual Performance The Model for Growth and Developing Individual Performance Morale and Individual Performance Performance Management and Developing the Individual Organization: Pro*Visions Pet Specialty Enterprises Sales Team for Ralston Purina Co Core Competencies and Developing Individual Performance Conclusion: Individual Learning and Performance Improvement Suggested Action Steps End Notes Learning in Performance and Performance Improvement The Importance of Learning in Organizational Performance Improvement Learning and Previous Topics A Practical Model of How People Learn Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Programs for Training, Development, and Education: Helping People Learn for Performance Introduction Distinguishing Training, Development, and Education The Three Learning Initiatives and Performance Improvement Characteristics of Effective Training and Development Organization: Veterinary Sales Team, Ralston Purina (now a part of Nestle) Organization: Division of Family Services (DFS), Boot Heel of Missouri Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes PART III PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: FORCES WORKING FOR AND AGAINST NEEDED CHANGE Factors Affecting Performance Improvement Impact and Stability Introduction and Linkage External Forces Requiring Change by Organizations Forces Working against Change Techniques for Encouraging Change First Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement Change: The Critical Role of Leadership Organization: Division of Family Services, Boot Heel of Missouri Organization: Ranken Technical College Second Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement Change: Changing the Organization and Culture Third Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement Change: Changing the Characteristics Fourth Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement Change: Conducting Effective Performance Improvement Interventions Summary and Conclusion Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders End Notes Comprehensive Performance Improvement: Actions for Leadership Introduction Strategic Questions Operations Questions Linking the Basic Elements of High-Level Performance Organization: A Consumer Products Company Conclusion and Summary Suggested Action Steps for Organizational Leaders End Notes Performance Improvement Efforts: Trade-offs for Leaders Introduction Scottrade Inc. Landshire Inc. Alliance Credit Union Leadership's Biggest Problem