There are lots of variables and issues to address when deploying a performance management system across a small or large business. But I've found that there are two questions that are critical to your success, regardless of the size or nature of your business. I'm writing this to not only expose those questions, but help you get very clear on your answers. Ready to proceed?


1. WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE? - This is an important one to answer in a personal and practical (not theoretical) manner. If you're like me, one way to approach this is to imagine someone else asking you, "So why are we doing this... when we are already busy?"

What would your answer be to that? You can't say, "Seemed like a good idea this month", nor can you tie it directly into profit or efficiency if the listener doesn't already believe that connection. Our suggestion in responding to this question is that you tie it directly into outcomes that are easy to identify with. These are the outcomes that problems in the work process, e.g. better visibility, better coordination, less details slipping through the cracks, less cost over-runs and delays...

So exactly what is your objective or your top three objectives for making a performance management system part of your business process? Believe me, not only do you need to be very clear about that, but every other person in your organization needs (you) to be clear about that as well.

Getting other people clear and enrolled in the ("your") objective means you need to make time for interaction in which they have the opportunity to see, agree and support your decision. If you get initial push-back, plan on additional interaction time in which you hear and acknowledge their perceptions, BUT don't leave until you have dismantled their objections.

Stop. Before we go any further, let's talk about how to manage objections.
Objections are usually based in a different world view that is constructed on a different set of facts or interpretation of facts than you might wish. The best way to deal with objections is to first listen and acknowledge, and then present reality based performance facts.

It's only human to minimize performance gaps, so you may need to dredge facts up to the surface. Facts that inevitably, and unmistakably point out the reality that something about how business is currently managed is not OK, is not good enough, doesn't fit with where you all want the business to go.

The truth is, utilizing performance technology, like ManagePro software, is a statement that you want/need/require things to change. If that's the case, you might as well say it point blank. Change and performance improvement is not something to dance around.



2. WHAT'S IT WORTH TO YOU? This question and your response is the 2nd key predictor of your success. Especially when deploying performance management software across your organization to deliver... well what, exactly, are you delivering?

Well that's an important question to address isn't it, maybe even before you address what the solution is worth? In fact both questions support each other and ultimately the success of deploying a new technology solution.

Your answer should contain information from the personal, customer, team interaction and process levels. The answer to this question can be simple or quite involved, with very defined costs and gains. Here are a couple of examples:
- "What's it worth" can be defined in terms of personal satisfaction and/or reduced frustration.
- It can also be defined in terms of where your time gets spent, and then again
- It can be defined in terms of dollars and due dates, quality and sales metrics.

What I would like to underscore is that however you measure worth; you want to have this question resolved in your head and ready to articulate to others. To embark on a software deployment, e.g. a change process, without having a good grasp of what ultimately the outcome is worth to you and others personally, is a setup for poor results.

Do you know why I wrote that last comment? It's simply that I have found this statement to be true over and over again,

"If you haven't firmly established what the value of your objective is, you'll easily get pulled away by competing priorities or pushed back by resistance from others."


Knowing the value of your objective (ex. Improved financial and quality outcomes, or a more systematic (less reactive), or a visible performance management system):
- will keep you on track,
- will help you avoid under-spending on resources to deploy the solution and
- will keep you out of the 2/3's group that doesn't succeed at deploying software.

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The author of this series, Rodney Brim, is CEO of Performance Solutions Technology (PST). PST develops and assists organizations in deploying performance management software solutions, and presents these guidelines based upon our work with 1,000's of companies to help ensure your success in the pursuit of performance management. Performance Solutions Technology is found on the web at http://www.PerformanceSolutionsTech.com