Principles of effective performance measurement

As with any endeavor connected with trendy words and phrases, {open_quotes}performance measurement{close_quotes} means different things to different people. To some, performance means {open_quotes}customer satisfaction{close_quotes}, and little, if anything, else. To others, it is productivity; to still others, it is procedural. In most real-world situations there are elements of all three of these dimensions. Whatever your definition of performance, it is important that it be clear in your own mind what you are trying to achieve, and that you make sure that those working with and for you have the same understanding. This paper is written from the point of view that performance is primarily productivity; after acceptable productivity is achieved, performance is customer satisfaction. I consider performance to be procedural only insofar as necessary to maintain legality and propriety. Rather than adopting the standard bureaucratic approach to procedure (i.e., everything not required is forbidden), I believe that consistently excellent performance demands the complementary philosophy: everything not forbidden is permitted. Remember: wars are won by the general who knows when to break the rules. The principles enunciated below are not unique to DOE or to the office environment: They are applicable to any performance measurement program. I have tried, however, to provide examples that apply to the office or that are likely to be familiar to those of us working with office information technology today