Abstract: Annual performance appraisals are deeply disliked and fundamentally flawed processes, yet they are ingrained in management mindsets and processes. While many leaders (including within HR) would like to abandon them, few know what to do differently and even fewer can summon the courage to act. This paper looks at the evidence for and against performance appraisals and provides some guidelines that will help leaders to think more seriously about abandonment.

Abstract: Management tools and techniques such as Economic Value Added, activity-based costing and benchmarking are the building blocks of every consulting business. But the evidence is that few meet the expectations of their users. While there are many reasons for this, one common thread is that the right cultural context is critical. This paper examines why such a wide range of tools don’t work and how managers can make better selection decisions or derive more value from existing investments in these tools.

Abstract: How good is your performance management model? Does it provide your senior executives with the early warning signals they need to respond rapidly to changing events or leave them facing angry shareholders who demand to know why you didn’t see the problems coming? Does it encourage managers to strive for maximum potential performance or reward them for being highly skilled at negotiating ‘comfortable’ targets and playing the political game?

Abstract: Most organizations work on the assumption that information can be dictated and directed from the corporate centre – that people only need to see ‘what they need to know’. This is a command and control assumption that must be tossed aside if leaders really want to move to an adaptive and decentralized organization. This paper looks at how adaptive organizations work on different assumptions about the openness and transparency of information and how it improves governance and control.

Abstract: Most organizations have a poor batting average in terms of successful investment decisions. Their performance can be improved significantly by using a number of techniques that tackle how the decision-making process works rather than just focusing on improving the accuracy of the forecast numbers. This paper examines these process improvements and how firms can benefit from them.

Abstract: Short-term fixed targets have become more pervasive in both the private and public sectors over recent years as senior executives look to make managers more accountable for delivering improved results. But do they work? Do they deliver the results expected? In some cases the answer is yes but the collateral damage is often too great to bear as managers’ resort to a range of unethical practices to meet the numbers. This paper examines the evidence and suggests ways that leaders can drive step changes in performance without the damaging effects of fixed targets.

Abstract: The public perception of large corporations is at its lowest point in recent history. And for those working within and around these organizations it’s not hard to see why. Employees are under increasingly levels of stress and have little faith in their leaders; customers believe they are being taken for granted through hidden charges and poor service; and shareholders are holding their breath waiting for the next corporate collapse. Despite new regulations, the impact on corporate cultures has been negligible.

Abstract: The business world has lost much respect and credibility following a wave of corporate governance scandals over the past five years or so. Many have realized that the risk to their reputation is the greatest risk of all. The reaction of governments predictably has been to tighten up regulations and extend punishments for serious miscreants. But does this get to the root of the problem?

Abstract: The mantra of the modern CEO is “creating shareholder value.” But too many mistakenly make this a fixed target and are then dragged into making short-term decisions that disrupt the longer-term wealth-creating capacity of their businesses. “Mortgaging the future to pay for the present” is one way of putting it. The root of the problem is using shareholder value as a target rather than a measure (and even as a measure it is imperfect as around 70 percent of share price movements are driven by factors outside an individual company’s control).

Abstract: Isn’t it amazing that we spend our early years at university learning from the great social scientists such as Mayo, McGregor and Maslow that people are not motivated by money, but once we rise to management positions of authority we act in the opposite way. This paper refreshes our memories of the motivation debate and looks at how some highly successful companies have turned Theory Y into practice.