Comment: This is the seventh post of the Leadership Process series. I began this series because I saw a lack of rigor and discipline to leadership. The purpose of these posts is to look at a process model used by leaders.
Assessing Results is to Monitoring and Controlling
EBO: Effects Based Outcomes
References:
Smith, E. (2002). Effects based operations: applying network centric warfare in peace, crisis, and war. DoD Command and Control Research Program. ISBN 1-893723-08-9.
Assessing Results is to Monitoring and Controlling
Perhaps one of the most rigorous efforts in the leadership process is assessing results. This effort can involve volumes of data, numerical computations, qualitative reviews, and opinions. The mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis can be frustrating for some professionals as many people want cold hard facts to substantiate a view but most efforts do not lend well to meaningful analysis. Classic project management is concerned with Earned Value Management, EVM, a quantative measure that attempts to relate money spent to earned progress. This is a financial measure that should work well in the Mobilizing Resources phase of the process but is not supported well outside that phase.
The truth of the matter is that Assessing Results is mostly an art than a science. However, there are two methods that provide a strong solution for assessing results; Effects Based Operations / Outcomes (EBO) and Measureable Orgnizational Value (MOV). I have illustrated in this blog posting, ITIL Affects MOV, one use of EBO and MOV. In that posting, I created a linkage between strategy and task using a variety of measures that are easily formulated and tracked in order to make decisions about money and efforts.
The truth of the matter is that Assessing Results is mostly an art than a science. However, there are two methods that provide a strong solution for assessing results; Effects Based Operations / Outcomes (EBO) and Measureable Orgnizational Value (MOV). I have illustrated in this blog posting, ITIL Affects MOV, one use of EBO and MOV. In that posting, I created a linkage between strategy and task using a variety of measures that are easily formulated and tracked in order to make decisions about money and efforts.
EBO: Effects Based Outcomes
Most often there are multiple objectives and effects sought by the leadership. The use of an Effects Based Operations, EBO, can provide a strong framework for measurement combining both qualitative and quantitative measures. EBO originated out of the need in military operations to identify and achieve meaningful outcomes. In short, EBO details the reason or purpose the military takes action and includes when to cease actions. The United States military defines EBO as a coordinated set of actions directed at shaping the human behavior of the battlespace during peace, crisis, and war (Smith, 2002, p. xiv). This may translate to the private sector as a coordinated set of deliberate efforts designed to achieve specfic outcomes in the marketplace. For example, an organization may have an intent of capturing market share, achieving control of market supply points, or reducing costs through economies of scale. There are associated set of actions with these outcomes. If framed correctly then the effort becomes focused and assessing results is simplified because we understand what to assess from the get go.
The general framework for EBO begins with some sort of intent then the establishment of a strategy and strategic objectives. Each objective should have two or three effects that can be measured or has Measures of Effectiveness, MOE. The use of triggers and indicators are associated with the MOE to spawn decisions. Overall, the framework is intended to provide options, agility, coordination, and information mobilization. Options tailor to a situation with observations increases the impact. Agility stems from the focus on networked assets and the ability to adapt to emergent conditions. Coordination enables complex actions and relationships to pull together understanding the intent and objectives. Information mobilization determines how well EBO brings to bear expertise and knowledge impacting flexibility and decisionmaking.
MOV
Ask any professional or MBA graduate student what is a way to measure a project or business opportunity? Nearly all will respond Return On Investment, ROI. However, ROI falls gravely short on measuring most business objectives. ROI is myoptic in that it is only focused on one dimension of performance, financial. Corporate Governance, good will, and social objectives of an operation are not capture well with ROI. Measureable Organizational Value, MOV, is usually a single measurement associated with a strategy or objective indicating the progress towards or the achievement of that strategy or objective. MOV does not measure the perfomance of work by the organization's staff or how well they did their jobs. MOV does measure how what was accomplished serves the organizations goals and objectives.
MOV is always assigned to strategy and strategic objectives. When coupled to EBO, measures, effects, and objectives should not only align with MOV but support it directly. In doing so, the combination of MOV and EBO become a tool for inplementing strategy-to-task.
Assessing Results
With MOV as the overall measure and EBO as the framework, leaders can assess the progress of the mobilized resources in the project and towards the overall effort. Of course, this system as with others must be determined early in the leadership process during Goaling Setting in order to know what to expect and if progress is being made towards the expectations. The idea is to narrow the gap between expectations and realizations. The use of performance triggers and indicators will provide decision points for redirecting resources either to the project or to other efforts. Knowing the upper and lower limits of performance will indicate actions necessary to correct the project tracking. The use of MOV will indicate progress towards the strategy.
As triggers fire and decision points are reached, actions will be taken to adjust the effort and refocus the direction on the strategic objectives and outcomes. These decisions will then roll up into the next phase of Plan for Updates. If the effort has met the MOV and EBO measure's then the vision has achieved the endstate and the effort should be closed out. This is the goal, to closeout the project upon achievement of the strategic objectives and vision.
The general framework for EBO begins with some sort of intent then the establishment of a strategy and strategic objectives. Each objective should have two or three effects that can be measured or has Measures of Effectiveness, MOE. The use of triggers and indicators are associated with the MOE to spawn decisions. Overall, the framework is intended to provide options, agility, coordination, and information mobilization. Options tailor to a situation with observations increases the impact. Agility stems from the focus on networked assets and the ability to adapt to emergent conditions. Coordination enables complex actions and relationships to pull together understanding the intent and objectives. Information mobilization determines how well EBO brings to bear expertise and knowledge impacting flexibility and decisionmaking.
MOV
Ask any professional or MBA graduate student what is a way to measure a project or business opportunity? Nearly all will respond Return On Investment, ROI. However, ROI falls gravely short on measuring most business objectives. ROI is myoptic in that it is only focused on one dimension of performance, financial. Corporate Governance, good will, and social objectives of an operation are not capture well with ROI. Measureable Organizational Value, MOV, is usually a single measurement associated with a strategy or objective indicating the progress towards or the achievement of that strategy or objective. MOV does not measure the perfomance of work by the organization's staff or how well they did their jobs. MOV does measure how what was accomplished serves the organizations goals and objectives.
MOV is always assigned to strategy and strategic objectives. When coupled to EBO, measures, effects, and objectives should not only align with MOV but support it directly. In doing so, the combination of MOV and EBO become a tool for inplementing strategy-to-task.
Assessing Results
With MOV as the overall measure and EBO as the framework, leaders can assess the progress of the mobilized resources in the project and towards the overall effort. Of course, this system as with others must be determined early in the leadership process during Goaling Setting in order to know what to expect and if progress is being made towards the expectations. The idea is to narrow the gap between expectations and realizations. The use of performance triggers and indicators will provide decision points for redirecting resources either to the project or to other efforts. Knowing the upper and lower limits of performance will indicate actions necessary to correct the project tracking. The use of MOV will indicate progress towards the strategy.
As triggers fire and decision points are reached, actions will be taken to adjust the effort and refocus the direction on the strategic objectives and outcomes. These decisions will then roll up into the next phase of Plan for Updates. If the effort has met the MOV and EBO measure's then the vision has achieved the endstate and the effort should be closed out. This is the goal, to closeout the project upon achievement of the strategic objectives and vision.
References:
Smith, E. (2002). Effects based operations: applying network centric warfare in peace, crisis, and war. DoD Command and Control Research Program. ISBN 1-893723-08-9.