Announcing a special issue of the
Performance Improvement Journal
Performance Improvement Journal
ISPI EMEA has guest edited a special issue of the Performance Improvement Journal (PIJ), which will be published in the Fall of 2009. PIJ is the journal published by the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). It is our understanding that the final copy for our issue of PIJ was submitted on Friday, May 22, 2009. Look for this special issue in September 2009. Find out how to obtain a copy of this and other issues, by going to the ISPI web site at www.ispi.org.
Below, you will find the titles and authors of each of the six (6) articles in our special issue, along with a brief summary (abstract) of the content, and questions that the authors have raised, in order to engage anyone reading this, in a discussion relating to the content of their articles.
Please feel free to post comments, answers or follow-on questions, regarding the entire issue as a whole, any or all, individual articles, or directed specifically at questions listed below by each author. We welcome your thoughts and perspectives and look forward to some engaging discussions. Further, we hope that you will consider coming to Galway to continue sharing ideas in person and, possibly, submitting your own proposal to present at the conference, along with an article that we can consider for publication in 2010!
"The Pitfall of Long Term Relationships" by Arnoud Vermei
In the Netherlands WEB Performance organized an Executive Forum. The organizers aimed to create an environment where executives from non-competitive industries shared views and experiences on performance improvement strategies and tactics. The forum delivered valuable insights and taught the facilitators to be very careful with assuming ‘we already know’.
Discussion questions:
- What do you think of the idea of a Executive Forum? What opportunities do you see, and what barriers?
- How do you test the insights you’ve gathered working with clients over a longer period of time? How do you prevent yourself from having tunnel vision?
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Clients tend to resist Front-End Analysis when it is presented as an arcane mystery, to be performed as a wizard’s ritual. When it is presented as a jointly-conducted troubleshooting procedure, both the resistance and the defensiveness melt away. Both consultant and client come to realize that this form of analysis is an intrinsic part of any durable solution to performance problems.
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"Defining the Perfect Process" by Arnoud Vermei
Organizational performance is very significantly dependent on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization’s processes. Therefore organizational leaders should focus much of their own and of their people’s efforts on operating and improving these processes. If you are seeking to improve, you need some sense of ‘what is better’. To this end, Terry Weight has sought to define the perfect process in his keynote speech to the 2008, ISPI EMEA Conference in Galway.
Discussion questions:
- How come we see so few examples of a perfect process?
- If performance depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, why do so many organizations start improvement efforts with OD or people-focused interventions?
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"An Evaluation Six Pack for Sustainable Organizations: The Six-P Framework" by Dr. Anthony Marker
As Performance Improvement (PI) practitioners, we seek, not only to solve organizational problems, but also to add value. For some time, we have focused on financial value. However, we are beginning to be held accountable also for the impact of our interventions on society and the environment. The framework proposed here—the Six-P Evaluation Framework—can help PI practitioners develop a broader view of organizational value and engage in planning and evaluation activities that will contribute to sustainability.
Discussion questions:
- How do we look at both the short-term results of a human performance solution along with their longer term impacts in ways that let us add more value?
- How do we balance the necessary financial results against potential negative impacts of solutions on the environment and society. And, more importantly, how do we design our solutions with foresight so that being environmental and socially responsible actually adds value to that financial bottom line?
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"Framing Sustainable Performance with Six Ps" by Karen Carleton
A systemic needs assessment can help close performance gaps for continuous improvement. The Six-P framework assesses organizational sustainability with six elements – perception, potential, practice, profit, planet and people. Six-P builds on Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model, Philips’ ROI, and a triple bottom line focus, facilitating corporate social responsibility. The framework, with its question guide and suggested assessment methods, underscores the magnitude of societal and environmental performance. A case study follows illustrating Six-P’s application for assessing sustainability.
Discussion questions:
- Does your organization currently measure its: perception (internal/external), potential, impact on the planet, and impact on people? If so, how are each of the performance elements measured?
- In what way can organizations balance quantitative with qualitative measures of performance? How could such data be verified or triangulated to ensure accuracy?
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"Outsourcing in Reverse – A Case Study from the Public Sector" by Christine Marsh
At a time when many public organizations were looking to outsource their IT (Information Technology) services, Torfaen County Borough Council in Wales took a strategic decision to bring all their ICT (Information Communications Technology) services in-house. The key challenge was to bring together and integrate a highly skilled, complex and diverse mix of existing internal and external service providers. The success of any project is underpinned by the contributions and motivation level of the staff.
Discussion questions:
- In the ideal world, when presented with a blank sheet of paper, you can follow all the analytical best practices. You can have a real impact on the research process plus the design and delivery of the most appropriate interventions. What methods have you used when the strategic decisions have already been taken and you are only allowed a limited time slot to access the situation and make your recommendations? Remember, there is no agreed budget.
- How have you been able to influence the key decision makers to reconsider their own conclusions without telling them they were wrong?
