The nine characteristics of successful KPI implementations

From my observations the failure rate for KPI and balance scorecard projects is off the scale.  Key Performance Indicators, in many organisations are dysfunctional and thus a broken tool. Measures are often a random collection, prepared with little expertise, thus signifying nothing.  KPIs should be measures that link daily activities to the organisation’s critical success factors, thus supporting an alignment of effort within the organisation, in the intended direction.  I call this alignment the El Dorado of management.

Inadequately trained C-Suite

One of the contributing factors is that organizations, in both the private and public sectors, are being run by management who have not yet received any formal education on performance measurement. Unlike accounting, and information systems where rigorous processes have been formulated, discussed and taught, performance measurement has been left as an orphan of business theory and practice. 

Nowadays, it is hard to find more than two executives in the same senior management team, who have had a significant investment in their training.  

The horse before the cart

A common feature of the many failed KPI projects I have heard about is that the cart was put in front of the horse.  Management were going for a quick fix for the wrong reasons.  KPIs were being set up so that management could have a hook to hang the bonus structure on.  If you believe you can set a predetermined target, that is meaningful, you are as daft as the investment sector who every year pay millions to hedge fund managers only to find that the risks that were taken to arrive at the year end result unwind to leave the investors with red ink.

The nine characteristics of successful KPI implementations 

For the KPI projects that did deliver I noticed the following common characteristics.

  1. They committed a complete and thorough exercise to ascertain their organizations’ critical success factors (CSFs).
  2. They ensured that all measures used by the organization relate back to the CSFs. 
  3. The CEO was always talking about the latest management book they had read. If Jack Welch found time to read when he was running his large empire, then we all can find the time to read a chapter or two, three times a week.
  4. They had groomed an in-house expert in performance measurement who came from operations. These people were quiet achievers, finishers of the highest order, who were well respected within the organization.
  5. A wide commitment and involvement from the oracles in the business, the wise owls that everybody refers to when they need answers.
  6. The  KPI project team was full time on the project.
  7. The KPI projects were run entirely in-house, by staff who had come from operations.  
  8. Each KPI was tested before its wide scale use, thus enhancing its chance of success. Implementing measures without this testing is at best naïve, and at worst, incompetent.
  9. There was a mass abandonment of existing measures, with the retention of only those that did work.

Recommended next steps for KPI team leaders

  1. Complete my checklist “Are you ready for a KPI project”, see below.
  2. Fully understand what KPIs are, what they are not, the importance of critical success factors and why balanced scorecard projects often fail.
  3. Understand the foundation stones that need to be in place for a KPI project to function properly.
  4.  You need to sell the need for change to the senior management team, so learn to do this well. Read my chapter on Leading and Selling Change.
  5.  You need to understand more about the DNA of KPIs. Read my chapter on The Great Misunderstanding with regards to KPIs and the myths of performance measurement.
  6.  Plan your approach by reading my books, whitepapers and getting me to deliver an in -house webcast to help train the KPI team for you.
  7.  Start the journey with ascertaining the organisation’s critical success factors. I can support you from afar through GoToMeetings or phone calls.

Are you ready for a KPI project checklist

Is there enough level of commitment? 
1.   Is the CEO prepared to be the champion of the KPI project?o Yes   o No
2.   If not, have you considered delaying the project until this level of commitment can be achieved?o Yes   o No
3.   Is this the right time to embark on this major project?o Yes   o No
4.   Has it been decided what needs to be abandoned to make room for this KPI project?o Yes   o No
5.   Has the SMT agreed to the provision of the training and education required to empower employees to create their own performance measures and take immediate remedial action when necessary?o Yes   o No
6.   Is the SMT prepared to resource KPI development through training, provision of facilitators, and time off the job for employees?o Yes   o No
7.   Are at least half of the KPI team working full time on the project?o Yes   o No
8.   Are the SMT familiar with the myths of performance measurement? 
·         Myth #1: Most measures lead to better performanceo Yes   o No
·         Myth #2: All measures can work successfully in any organisation, at any timeo Yes   o No
·         Myth # 3: All performance measures are KPIso Yes   o No
·         Myth #4: By tying KPIs to pay you will increase performanceo Yes   o No
·         Myth #5: We can set relevant year-end targetso Yes   o No
·         Myth #6: Devising appropriate performance measures is relatively simpleo Yes   o No
·         Myth #7: KPIs are financial and non-financial indicatorso Yes   o No
·         Myth # 8 You can delegate a performance management project to a consulting firmo Yes   o No
9.   Are the KPI foundation stones acceptable to the SMT?Partnership with the staff, unions, and third partiesTransfer of power to the front lineMeasure and report only what mattersSource KPIs from the critical success factorsAbandon processes that do not deliver Appointment of a home-grown chief measurement officerOrganisation-wide understanding of winning KPI definitiono Yes   o No
10.Do the SMT understand that KPIs are too important to be linked to KPIs?o Yes   o No
11.Do the SMT understand that the KPI project needs to be managed by in-house resources?o Yes   o No
  
Am I the right person to lead the job? 
12.Have you worked in the organisation for over three years?o Yes   o No
13.Are you well networked with operations and head office personnel?o Yes   o No
14.Are you prepared to work full time on this project?o Yes   o No
15.Have you had experience with: 
·         Problem-solving?o Yes   o No
·         Brainstorming?o Yes   o No
·         Information display and charting?o Yes   o No
·         Delivering presentations?o Yes   o No
·         Interviewing?o Yes   o No
·         Completing large implementation projects?o Yes   o No
16.Your skill base: 
·         Are you a self-starter?o Yes   o No
·         Have you demonstrated innovation in the past?o Yes   o No
·         Have you advanced communication skills?o Yes   o No
·         Are you an “active” listener?o Yes   o No
·         Have you the ability to bring “others on board”?o Yes   o No
·         Do you have a good track record in finishing projects you start?o Yes   o No
·         Are you able to maintain a big picture focus while working on a project?o Yes   o No
·         Are you happy to work with the chosen KPI team members?o Yes   o No
·         Do you have the flexibility at home to be able to work overtime at critical times?o Yes   o No

Your score: Every “No” indicates a problem.

  1. Fully understand what KPIs are, what they are not, the importance of critical success factors and why balanced scorecard projects often fail.
  2. Understand the foundation stones that need to be in place for a KPI project to function properly.
  3.  You need to sell the need for change to the senior management team, so learn to do this well. Read my chapter on Leading and Selling Change.
  4.  You need to understand more about the DNA of KPIs. Read my chapter on The Great Misunderstanding with regards to KPIs and the myths of performance measurement.
  5.  Plan your approach by reading my books, whitepapers and getting me to deliver an in -house webcast to help train the KPI team for you.
  6.  Start the journey with ascertaining the organisation’s critical success factors. I can support you from afar through GoToMeetings or phone calls.

[i] This process is outlined in: Parmenter, David. “Finding Your Organization’s Critical Success Factors.” implementation guide, DavidParmenter.com, 2020.

This information has been extracted from David Parmenter’s Key Performance Indicators (4th Edition) which is the highest rated KPI book on Amazon.

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