Did you know that there is a fast path to better results? We know where it goes. And we are more than happy to share our knowledge. Hope you are ready for a challenge. The fast path is through a long article. Written by Morten Jacobsen. Suitable for all leaders who are interested in creating results together with their teams.

Through many years as a consultant and advisor, I have had some experience with leadership groups that want to succeed with quick results. Creating quick and good results requires commitment, commitment and dedication. No left-handed work. And I have learned that it is often about how leadership groups work together as a team; helping, supporting, encouraging and, not least, challenging each other with good intentions. Leadership groups that have developed strong and good relationships can withstand a blow, develop resilience and strength on the path to faster results.

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We call it performance management

In our company it is called “results management” , but dear child has many names. Simply put, it is about setting a direction, setting goals and getting people involved in the work to achieve these goals. It sounds simple, but in practice it turns out to be quite challenging. This work especially applies to ensuring that the goals are achieved. Too often we have experienced that goals and strategies are put in a drawer or “forgotten” in some archive and remain there until the next time it is time to work on new goals. This is especially true in organizations where daily operations get most of the attention.

That is why we place great emphasis on the work of ensuring that the goals are achieved. We call this “results assurance” and spend a lot of time training leaders and leadership groups in this way of working. It is in results assurance that we also test the solidity, cohesion and strength of the leadership group. Are we confident in each other, do we dare to show vulnerability, do we dare to ask for help and can we be direct with each other? This becomes especially important when leaders struggle with achieving results.

Isn't it quite bold to use the headline "The fastest way to better results"? How can I be sure that "results management" gives the best results? Well, I'm not. There are of course other approaches, models and methodologies, but at Considium we fully believe that this is one of the best ways to ensure fast results. To be short academic; all theory and empirical evidence indicate that our way of working is the one that gives the best results.

From red to black numbers – an example

As an example, I can tell you about a management team I worked with in the spring of 2020. The management team struggled with red numbers throughout the first quarter. In April, we worked out prioritized performance goals – both quantitative and qualitative goals – for each person in the management team. We quickly began following up on these through systematic performance assurance, where the focus was initially on achieving financial results by increasing sales.

Since the situation was critical, we held performance assurance meetings every other week. By the end of June, the management team had collectively secured black numbers and a satisfactory bottom line. Of course, many elements play a role in working towards results. But in this situation, I believe the management team would hardly have achieved good results as early as it did if it had not introduced “performance management”. Are you a little curious about how we do this in practice?

Set direction – set goals – ensure results

Results management is about setting direction, setting goals and ensuring that the goals are achieved in a process where everyone in the management team is active and involved in reaching goals, approving each other's goals and supporting each other in achieving the goals - results assurance.

Take your time for a soft but important start

When I begin working with a leadership team that I have not met before, I take some time to get to know each member of the leadership team. I do this to map out where each member of the leadership team stands in relation to the other members of the leadership team, what challenges the leadership team and the individual face, and what each believes is needed for the leadership team to achieve results.

I do this through personal and confidential conversations . In this way, each member gets to know me well and trusts me, while at the same time I get a better grasp of what the individual and the leadership team should achieve.

I find that most leadership groups have a fairly clear idea of ​​what they want to achieve, but that the path to the results can be unclear and vague. And this is exactly where I have found that many leadership groups struggle. Strategic and long-term goals are often laid out in a strategic plan, but implementing this is the big challenge. And it is in the implementation itself that the results are created.

Set a time horizon that is not too distant

So what does it take for the management team to succeed with quick results? First and foremost, it is about setting a time horizon that is not too distant. Strategies and long-term plans often extend over a three to five year horizon. When we work with goals and results, we set a time horizon of 3 – 6 – 9 months. If the time horizon becomes more distant, the significance and importance of the goals are often reduced. It is not felt to be so important to work to achieve them before the deadline approaches. That does not lead to quick results. We start with what will be particularly important for the management team as a whole to achieve within the 3 – 6 – 9 month horizon, in other words, the common goals for the group.

Find a common goal

And what do we really mean by goals? On the one hand, it can be about specific target figures or KPIs that are to be achieved, such as sales figures, turnover, cost reduction, profit level, service level, reduction in sick leave. These are the quantitative goals. However, often the qualitative goals are just as important. Such as which activities/measures will lead to the achievement of the target figures - directly or indirectly. We use the term work goals for these.

After an open and creative round in the leadership group - where everyone is challenged to come up with what they believe will be important for the leadership group to succeed with in a 3 - 6 - 9 month perspective, we work towards a common goal.

The next step involves each person in the leadership group presenting thoughts and suggestions on what they themselves should contribute in order to deliver on the common goals, in other words. it is the leaders themselves who come up with their goals/measures. They are not stepped on over their heads. All the work so far has been done in the leadership group as a whole so that both common and individual goal images emerge.

Every leader – their own goal chart

Once the proposals for both common goals for the management team and prioritized proposals for goals for each management team member are available, there is one last step before the goals can be approved and applauded by the entire management team before the work to secure the results can begin. This step involves each manager preparing their own personal goal form/goal sheet. Parts of this work can be experienced as both demanding and "painful", not least because the result must be suitable for follow-up.

The target form is personal and belongs to the individual management team member. This means that each member takes responsibility for achieving the target figures and succeeding with the work goals. The responsibility is never shared among several people, but support and help from the other management team members will be important prerequisites for success.

The target form shows up to three of the most important target figures for the individual and up to five of the most important work targets. Again, these are the vital few that will help ensure results are achieved. The target figures are periodized for each month. The work targets are described with a deadline for when they should be achieved.

The art of achieving good goals

Then comes the really painful part; formulating work goals so that they are suitable for follow-up. I find that leaders often struggle here. Some experience this as unnecessary and wasted work, others see the benefit in making the goals as specific as possible. I myself spend a lot of time on this exercise together with leadership groups – probably to the annoyance of some, joy and benefit for others. At Considium, we use the acronym ROTURA as a basis for arriving at good, specific and follow-up goals.

A well-formulated work objective should be:

R – Result-descriptive – the goal should describe specifically what is to be achieved

O – Objectively measurable – others than the person who owns the goal should be able to “see” that the goal has been achieved

T – Time-bound – a goal without a deadline is in this context just a good intention

U – Developmental – the goal should be developmental for the business beyond ordinary, daily operations

R – Realistic – the bar for goal achievement should be high, but not unreasonably high

A – Responsible, – there is always only one person who owns the goal

An example of a work goal that satisfies the criteria could be:

Must have acquired at least three new customers for the company, each representing at least 50 MNOK in annual revenue for the company, so that we secure the year's profit and maintain our position in the market.

Deadline: 31.08 Responsibility: Manager

We challenge leaders to both identify relevant measures and the effect they should have. Measures and the effect of the measures become work goals.

Goal-setting is teamwork

The process of arriving at the right and good target figures and goals is demanding, but it should be experienced as meaningful and useful. The work is done in a joint management group, and the target forms/target sheets that we come up with together should be approved and anchored in a collective group. After the target work, no one should be able to say that they have not been involved in the work of arriving at both their own and their colleagues' target figures and work goals. It is about a team matter and how the team together will create results - quickly.

But how do you ensure the quick results?

The classic trap is to put aside the results of goal-setting once the goals are in place – and continue as before. That won't yield quick results.

Our solution is for the team to immediately schedule regular performance assurance meetings where the goals are followed up. Frequency is always an issue when it comes to one. But since it is about achieving quick results, my experience is that short but frequent performance assurance meetings every 14 days have the best effect. In a normal situation, I recommend meetings every month, for example in connection with month-end closing/reporting.

The performance assurance meeting: Remember to look ahead!

“Do you want to achieve your goals as agreed?” is the central question in performance assurance. If the answer is “Yes”, it may sound as if everything is in order. However, situations can occur where a “Yes” may be associated with uncertainty and risk. It will be important to be able to bring the risk factors to the fore in the performance assurance meeting so that measures can be identified and implemented to reduce uncertainty. In performance assurance, the aim is always forward – never backward. This is where the forward results are created.

If the answer to the central question is "No", I often operate with the rule of thumb that the individual should have thought through what it takes to turn a "No" into a "Yes" in advance of the performance assurance meeting. This may involve measures that should be implemented or intensified or the need for specific help from others in the team. Alternatively, it may be appropriate to ask to change the goal or deadline for the goals.

The basic idea behind the performance assurance meeting is that the follow-up of goals, changes to goals and approval of new goals take place in a united team. This creates commitment across the team and everyone is well informed about and involved in their colleagues' goals. At the same time, the performance assurance should give each team member an experience of receiving help and being encouraged by colleagues. I like to say that regardless of whether you answer "No" or "Yes" during the performance assurance, you should leave the meeting on a high note.

Preparation is the key to ensuring good results

In order for performance assurance to work, and for participants to experience the performance assurance meetings as meaningful, useful and effective, I place great emphasis on good preparation. This means that all participants complete their forms in advance and that these are distributed to the entire team so that everyone comes to the meeting prepared.

I would like to send out the checklist below in advance of the results assurance:

• Decide in advance what you want to get out of the meeting – what do you want to focus on:
  • Feedback on specific goals/areas
  • Help/support from colleagues
  • Suggestions/ideas from colleagues
• Take responsibility for ensuring that KPIs/targets are harmonized across departments and that they are linked to work goals
• If you have one or more NOs:
  • Prepare measures, in other words, what will you do to ensure the result?
  • Tell your colleagues what help and support you need
• Review your colleagues' goal forms and prepare advice, input and suggestions

Performance Management: The Fastest Path to Better Results

If the rules of the game that I have recommended for the performance assurance meeting are followed, it is guaranteed to have an effect. If they are not followed, there is unfortunately a danger that the performance assurance will run into trouble, and a lot of time and effort will be wasted to no avail, with boring consequences for the achievement of results.

If you are a leader looking for quick results, performance management is the tool that can help you achieve this. The management model requires some discipline, structure and, not least, a shared commitment. Try it yourself!