GRADING SYSTEMS in LEARNING ORGS LO15420

Scott Simmerman (SquareWheels@compuserve.com)
Sat, 18 Oct 1997 11:50:52 -0400

Replying to LO15410 --

Keith Cowan in LO15410 said:

>I am strongly in favour of defining the "outputs" required of any group
>and measuring their collective performance on the overall output. As long
>as I get the reasonable output I asked for, I can rate the group well.

>The real question for LO is how do I change that output in the next period
>to reflect the benefit I should be getting from LO. If the output does not
>continuously improve, then LO is a hoax. By rewarding the rate of
>improvement, I can start to create an inherent reward culture in which LO
>can flourish?

Been there, done that. My initial years of consulting on "performance
management and behavioral engineering" were focused on defining outputs
with high, unrecognized payoffs. Define the measures, calculate the
Performance Improvement Opportuniuty, put a dollar value on the annualized
payoffs and then change the feedback and reward systems. Simple!

Performance was easy to measure and put on the appraisal forms. Managers
were rewarded for improvements in these key measures.

HOWEVER, what we didn't measure or track didn't get done. Usually not a
problem. But once in a while...

I think Roxanne's comments in another post on the movement toward stock
options, profit-sharing (only when people understand what it is and how to
improve it!), and other group, long-term rewards are right on.

It is the non-external rewards that need support and the need to move away
from the dollar-dominated scorecard thing (which we have discussed at
length in other threads).

Constructive Criticism. Team-based Compensation and Interdepartmental
Collaboration are but three of the more common organizational oxymorons.

Yet the round wheels are already in the wagon. And nobody ever washes a
rental car.

-- 
For the FUN of It!

Scott Simmerman Performance Management Company 3 Old Oak Drive, Taylors, SC 29687 (USA) 864-292-8700 fax 292-6222 SquareWheels@compuserve.com

visit The Lost Dutchman at http://www.clicknow.com/stagedright/dutchman/

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>