From Breaking to Making: The Power of Constructing Performance Chains
Yesterday afternoon I spent some time digging into the the Results Chain and Anatomy of Performance principles by Rummler and Morrill, on Guy W Wallace’s recommendation. I am really impressed, these principles offer a really fresh perspective on how to look at performance, compared to the usual job-level stuff.
To explain it succinctly (for my own sake as I reiterate to learn, and for those unfamiliar with it), the Results Chain is like a roadmap, guiding you from inputs (the stuff we start with), through activities and outputs (the things we do and make), to outcomes and the most important bit — impact. It’s all about tracing the journey from start to finish, and I can see how it could be yield an incredible result, if the right critical items are spotted along the way.
Then we’ve got the Anatomy of Performance, or the Performance Chain. This principle isn’t all about what people do, but what they make — the real value-adds. It draws a clear line between what we do (activities) and what we achieve (results). The beauty of it? It aligns everyone’s efforts with the organization’s mission, putting us on the fast track to better returns.
When you put these two principles together, it’s like piecing together a performance puzzle. We’re connecting the dots from Critical Job Issues (CJI) to Critical Process Issues (CPI), and then to Critical Business Issues (CBI). It’s a holistic view that lets us zoom out and see the big picture; a chain of cause and consequence. It’s about tackling performance issues at the root, and cranking up the impact on overall organizational performance.
What’s the upshot of all this? Why should you care? Well, not only does it pump up the value we deliver, but it also sparks a culture of ongoing learning and improvement. Well integrated in the workflow, I think it could contribute to a fundamental cultural shift in an L&D organization.
It’s early days for me with these principles, still digesting them, and still thinking about my own workplace and how I may be able to apply them in practice, but the possibilities seem pretty exciting!
ChatGPT Bonus Round!
I fed ChatGPT the Results Chain and Anatomy of Performance whitepaper and asked it to give me an example of it that a 10-year old could understand. So, just abstract it to the max, and it is a total gem:
ChatGPT’s response:
Let’s imagine a soccer team to make it easier to understand.
Situation: Our soccer team, the “Rocket Strikers”, is not winning games. The coach thinks it’s because the striker, Billy, isn’t scoring enough goals. So, the coach wants Billy to practice shooting more.
Applying the Principles:
Anatomy of Performance: This is like looking at Billy’s role in the team. Our coach, let’s call her Coach Jane, sees that Billy doesn’t know when he should shoot or pass the ball. He’s confused!
The Results Chain: Coach Jane figures out that Billy’s problem (not knowing when to shoot or pass) is making it hard for the team to score goals. This is like a chain — Billy’s problem leads to the team’s problem, which leads to losing games.
Serious Performance Consulting: Coach Jane realizes that just making Billy practice shooting more won’t solve the problem. She needs to do more things:
For Billy (Job Level), she needs to teach him when it’s best to shoot and when it’s best to pass.
For the team (Process Level), she needs to make sure everyone knows how to work together better, so they can help Billy make the right decision.
For the whole club (Organization Level), she needs to make sure everyone — players, coaches, and even the fans — understand what the team is trying to do.
Benefits:
By doing all this, not only does Billy get better at deciding when to shoot or pass, but the whole team also gets better at working together. This means the Rocket Strikers start winning more games! So, Coach Jane didn’t just help Billy; she helped everyone get better and win games. That’s what the Results Chain and Anatomy of Performance principles do!
Go Rocket Strikers! 🚀
