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RE: Convincing employees
--- Received from FINANCE.BERNSD 240-777-8886 01-07-17 11.55 ------------------------------------------------------
-> epstein@pipeline.com
-> Delvin.Lane@energywatch.org.uk
-> upm@raw.rutgers.edu
I agree with Paul Epstein, and add the following:
1) Make sure that all employees from top to bottom understand the mission of the organization, and of their organizational
unit(s). If possible, allow employees to participate in the development of the mission.
2) Make sure there is some linkage between the mission of the organizational units, the parent organization, and the work
that is actually performed.
3) Align goals for the organizational unit with the mission of the organization and the organizational unit, then develop
performance measures for those goals. Check on actual performance before setting goals, so your goals will be realistic.
4) As Paul said, make sure that individual employees understand how their work contributes to the overall organization
mission and their work unit's mission.
5) Elected officials and high level appointed organization managers are also employees. If the top leadership does not buy
into the measurement concept, and provide more than lip service to support it (by resource commitment, and action to
demonstrate use), then don't bother. The effort will fail without organizational leadership and support from the top.
6) Ensure a "vertical integration of accountability." That is, link individual accountability to organizational
accountability as described above with alignment of missions, goals, and tasks. Then, make sure that as much emphasis is put
on organization and work unit/team accountability as is put on individual accountability and accomplishment of work
objectives.
7) First emphasize the value of using measures for day-to-day management and program monitoring, then focus on
accountability. Let the measurement system prove it's value to managers and employees for doing their jobs before you
heavily emphasize accountability.
8) It takes 3 to 5 years to develop and perfect a full blown performance measurement system. DON'T RUSH THE ISSUE, AND DON'T
TAKE SHORT CUTS. If possible, don't link organization budgets to performance until the system has had a chance to settle.
Then, make sure that cutting a budget is the appropriate response to failed performance, and not a change in the organization
environment (more customers or work without additional resources). If the organization is underfunded, or if employees
perceive that the organization is underfunded, cutting the budget because of less than expected performance will undermine
employee confidence and any enthusiasm that may have developed.
9) Don't confuse performance measurement with evaluation or auditing. Performance measures are appropriately used for
monitoring, and will answer "what" questions, but not "why" questions. Newcomer said, "Performance measurement typically
captures quantitative indicators that tell what is occurring with regard to program outputs and perhaps outcomes but, in
itself, will not address the how and why questions...if internal management wants to know how to improve program operations,
they must venture beyond performance data" (Newcomer, 1997: 10) to more detailed and comprehensive research than program
evaluation is able to provide. Don't make the mistake of thinking that performance measurement is an expedited and discount
form of program evaluation or auditing.
10) Don't link employee pay to performance until the system is fully functional and stable for a number of years, and has
outlasted at least one turn-over of elected and appointed officials.
11) Be flexible, involve stakeholders to the extent possible, and don't forget to check the organizational conditions with
employee and customer surveys to ensure that measurement is supporting the basic mission, and has not become a mission unto
itself.
Good luck.
David J. Bernstein, Ph.D.
Administrative Services Coordinator
Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Finance
and
Research Consultant, Governmental Accounting Standards Board
The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not reflect an official position of Montgomery County, Maryland or the
Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: epstein@pipeline.com
To: Delvin.Lane@energywatch.org.uk, upm@raw.rutgers.edu
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 11:08:08 -0400
Subject: RE: Convincing employees
My first suggestion is not to approach public performance measurement as
"measuring employees," but as "measuring what we are achieving for the
public."
Don't focus the opening value proposition on making employees feel they are
being judged whether they are doing "good" or "bad" work, or whether they
are "efficient" or "inefficient." But focus it on how effectively the work
of organizational units or teams is focused on improving how well the
organization accomplishes its mission, satisfies customers, or contributes
to improving public outcomes.
You may eventually have to get down to the point of using measurement to
improve the performance of teams or even individual employees. But it is
almost impossible to start there and have employees accept the measurement
system and help make it work. You've got a better chance, however, if
you've first gotten employees to see how their work contributes--adds value
to--to a bigger picture of what the organization as a whole is trying to
accomplish for the public.
--Paul Epstein
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Epstein & Fass Associates (www.epsteinandfass.com)
140 Nassau St., Suite 9C, New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-349-1719 Fax: 212-349-4054 e-mail: epstein@pipeline.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-upm@raw.rutgers.edu [mailto:owner-upm@raw.rutgers.edu]On
Behalf Of Delvin Lane
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 5:48 AM
To: upm@raw.rutgers.edu
Subject: Convincing employees
Delvin Lane
Senior Project Manager
energywatch
delvin.lane@energywatch.org.uk
(m) 07721 300254
Dear All,
Can anyone help me with ideas on how to sell the benifits of performance
measurement to the very employees we are trying to measure?
Any presentations, papers etc would be most helpful.
Kind Regards,
Delvin Lane.
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