This article presents a view on Performance
Management and, in particular, draws upon the author's consultancy
experience of a major project where this has been
a contractual requirement. From this experience it is thought that the
approach taken may also be appropriate to other performance-based contracts in the
defence, education, health care,
telecommunications or pharmaceutical sectors. Whilst
reference is made to the EFQM model, KPIs and the Balanced Scorecard where such
organizational `health monitoring' measurements
may become one of the key barometers in tracking performance for business continuity
reasons, the focus of the article is on the
`people' element of the business and the need for senior management to ensure the
existence of an appropriate performance culture.
It is widely accepted that management consulting typically involves the
identification and cross-fertilization of best
practices, analytical techniques, change
management, technology implementation, strategy development and coaching skills.
However, the above list includes merely tools or competencies on which consultants may
draw on in order to provide sound advice to businesses about efficient
management practices. On this basis therefore, one of
the attributes of management consultancy can be considered to be the practice of
assisting companies to improve their operational
and, hence, financial performance through analysis of existing business problems together
with the introduction of performance metrics by which the organization can then
be incentively managed. |
