Introducing the Future of Company, Corporate, Organisational, Business and Economic Performance Management and Results Achievement

I am advocating the shift from managerial performance management to scientific management of performance and results and from a primary focus on performance to a primary focus on results. By scientific approach I mean the use of scientific thinking, scientific methods and the use of science and engineering in performance and results management. This approach enhances the production of desired performance and results using solutions such as formulas, algorithms, models, procedures, procedures, processes, laws, principles and others. The approach improve the quality and speed of producing desired business, company, organisational and economic results.

Research shows that the overwhelming majority of Governments, Boards, Countries, Economies, Companies, Organisations, Business, People and Societies across the world are either producing results that they do not desire or that are below their full potential. For the purposes of this article I will use companies, organisations and businesses as examples but what I discuss applies to;

1. Governments,

2. Boards,

3. Countries,

4. Economies,

5. Companies,

6. Organisations,

7. Business,

8. People as individuals, teams or groups and

9. Societies

The failure to produce desired results is in direct proportion to the strength of organisation and structure. Societies are generally voluntary, lose structures with poorly defined common goals, poor leadership structures and in which individuals gets neither direct rewards nor punishment for their contributions to the societal goals. Organisations, especially for profit organisations such as companies and businesses, by far beat other entities in producing predictable, desired results compared to the other entities discussed here. Yet, still, compared to their potential and what results could be produced, many organisations still underperform.

Four Major Reasons Behind Failure to Produce Desired or Best Possible Results.

Confusing performance and results is one major reason why a combination of mediocre bad and average results are the norm. Using poor performance management models are the second.

Reason One: Confusing Performance and Results

When you talk to leaders, professionals and managers about performance, most instinctively think about results. To many people, performance and results are synonymous. Therefore, when these people talk about performance management, they think they are talking about results management. This is a grave but pandemic mistake.

The root cause of the confusion between performance and results is in the definitions and concepts of performance and results.

I define performance as how well something or someone is doing at a particular task or set of tasks as measured against design standards.

I define result as output or outcome produced by some effort or performance under a given set of conditions.

Reason Two: Using Poor Performance Management Models

Most managers, leaders and professions view performance as an output. In managing performance, they focus on output. They want to manage performance but then focus predominantly on the output. This makes performance and results appear synonymous.

In my view, performance and results are not synonymous. They are related but different.

Can People Perform Very Well and Still Fail to Produce Desired Results?

Once we separate performance and results, we can then determine whether it is possible for people to perform very well and still fail to produce desired results. I believe it is very possible. Let me ask you?

1. Can a farmer can do everything required in farming and still fail to produce the desired harvest?

2. Can a football team can perform very well and still lose a game?

3. Can an athlete can put a stellar performance in a race and still fail to produce the desired result?

4. Can a student perform very well in class and fail to produce a desired result?

Reason Three: Using Non-Scientific Performance and Results Management Approaches.

If we agree that we separate performance and results, next we must figure out how best to manage both performance and results. This means a major overhaul or complete replacement of the current performance management models and approaches.

First, traditional performance management is more managerial than scientific. Second, traditional performance is more operational and tactical than strategic. Many Chief Executive Officers, Board Chairpersons, Board Members and Top Executives can still not accurately define what is tactical, what is operational and what is strategic. They are also still not yet acutely aware of the importance of knowing the differences.

Second there is very little, if at, science used to manage performance. By science, I also mean psychology and biology since humans only humans drive performance. Why am I talking about science?

Science produces better and more predictable results most deliberately and consistently. Science allows for engineered performance and results instead of results and performance produced by the managerial approach and by trial and error.

Reason Four: Managing Performance Instead of Results

Performance management, the way it is generally understood today in companies, organisations and economies, falls short in terms of helping companies, organisations, businesses and economies avoid producing bad results and consistently producing their best possible results.

From Traditional Performance Management to Performance and Results Engineering.

There have been attempts to shift organisations and economies from focusing on performance management to results management. The results-based management approach is an example of such effort. Unfortunately, the attempts have yet to get serious traction.

I am advocating the shift from managerial performance management to scientific management of performance and results and from a primary focus on performance to a primary focus on results. By scientific approach I mean the use of scientific thinking, scientific methods and the use of science and engineering in performance and results management. This approach enhances the production of desired performance and results using solutions such as formulas, algorithms, models, procedures, procedures, processes, laws, principles and others. The approach improves the quality and speed of producing desired business, company, organisational and economic results.

Resultsology is a scientific study of how humans produce the performance and results that they produce. Findings from the studies provide the bases for scientific performance and results and performance and results engineers.

?Simon Bere, 2023