Measure Up! Yardsticks for Continuous Improvement

by Lynch, Richard L.; Cross, Kelvin F.

• ISBN13: 9781557867186
• ISBN10: 1557867186
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-11-15
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Leading consultants argue that few areas are as important as measurement, yet it remains one of the weakest areas in management today. Based on discussions with managers from a broad range of industries in the US and Europe, this book shows managers how to: Measure what is important to their customers. Motivate their organizations. Identify and eliminate waste of both time and resources.

Author Biography

Richard Lynch ([e-mail]) is a partner at Results-Based Leadership, Inc. Kelvin Cross is a partner at at Corporate Renaissance Inc.

Table of Contents

Foreword	viii
Preface	xi
Acknowledgements	xiv
Do your yardsticks measure up?	1	(9)
Introduction
First Downs and Touchdowns
Fumbling the Ball
Broken Yardsticks
How to Tailor Measurements to Your Business
Summary
Taking off the blinders	10	(18)
The Storm that Altered the U.S. Landscape
Storm Warning: Europe 1992
False Idols
Management by Whose Objectives?
Technology's Broken Promises
The Accountant's Distorted Prism
Summary
Dynamic strategies need dynamic yardsticks	28	(12)
Assessing Your Competitive Position
Charting a Strategic Course
Dynamics of Strategy Implementation
Ways of Sustaining Focus
Building a Strategic Control System
Summary
The eyes of the customer	40	(23)
Business Process Mapping: The Road to Customer Satisfaction
Moments of Truth
Bureaucracy Busters: Cross-functional Teams
Mapping the Way Work Gets Done
Streamlining Your Core Processes
Summary
Down to brass tacks	63	(29)
The Performance Pyramid
Visions of Tomorrow
Strategic Business Unit Objectives
Getting It Done in the Middle
Measuring the Right Stuff in the Trenches
Heat-seeking Missiles
A Note about Critical Success Factors
Bilingual Managers
Summary
Performance that counts to the customer	92	(14)
On the Pedestal
Great Expectations
Apple of One's Eye
Fly in the Ointment
Apple of Discord
Fit to a T
Quality and Delivery: Performance Pillars Revisited
Summary
Performance that counts to the bottom line	106	(15)
The New Math of Productivity
Time Is Money
Waste Not, Want Not
Cost of Quality
To Know Beans
Summary
Performance that boosts employee morale	121	(14)
Pyramid Perspectives
Playing Fast and Loose Won't Cut It
Knowing the Ropes
Through Thick and Thin
Unlocking Employee Potential
Summary
Custom tailoring performance measures	135	(24)
Getting Started
A Beacon in the Night
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
External Measures
Internal Measures
A Word about Indices
Reporting Guidelines
When Continuous Improvement Is Not Enough
Early Warning Systems
Summary
Altering the corporate mindset	159	(15)
Holding Out the Umbrella
Awareness
Establishing Cross-functional Teams
The Implementation Plan
Piloting the Program
When to Declare Victory
Swimming Upstream
Tips to Overcome Resistance
Other Obstacles
Summary
Mending and remodeling related systems	174	(29)
Mending the Accounting System
Remodeling the Return-on-investment Model
Custom Tailoring Executive Support Systems
Goal Deployment
New Styles for Organizations
Empowering People to Be Master Tailors
Renovating the Compensation System
Keeping the Organization Up-to-date
Summary
Conclusions Ten Ways to Help Your Company Measure Up	203	(4)
Appendix A: Workflow improvement principles	207	(9)
Appendix B: Enlightened measures	216	(13)
Appendix C: Custom pyramids	229	(6)
Glossary	235	(8)
Index	243