Course Content

The course is in three parts.

• Part One being the introduction and how the performance management system works,
• Part Two, the seven modules of the plan itself and
• Part Three, implementation with experience-based guidelines and actual examples to aid implementation.

There are ten easy to read modules, divided into the three parts: While each module can stand alone, together they form a comprehensive performance management system.Each module contains examples, summaries, checklists, glossaries and quality standards. In addition, two modules are dedicated to guidelines for implementing a performance measurement system, the most common pitfalls, and case studies.

Part I: Preparation

Consists of two modules.

Module One - The Big Picture aims to position aspects of measuring and improving performance within the context of all the basic components of team performance. These basic components of team performance cover all the aspects necessary to implement and sustain a continuous performance improvement system. This module also clarifies the scope of the course.

Module Two - Why Develop Performance Measures? explains why the processes described in this course are so integral to the following initiatives, which have in common the goal of continuous improvement: strategic planning systems, performance management systems, team performance systems, benchmarking, total quality management, enterprise bargaining/reward systems, business process re-engineering, empowerment, contracting out services, competitive tendering, strategic alliances and learning organisations.

Part II: The Process

Consists of 6 modules.

Module Three to Module Eight describe in detail those components specifically related to the measurement of performance. These modules form the core of the course.

Module Three - Total Stakeholder Satisfaction shows how to identify all the stakeholders of a given organisation or team, a necessary precondition for the successful development of a performance measurement system.

Module Four - How to Develop Outputs shows how to develop outputs.

Module Five - How to Develop Performance Measures shows how to develop performance measures.

Module Six - Target Setting explains how to set targets.

Module Seven - The Balanced Scorecard provides a step-by-step guide on how to build a Balanced Scorecard.

Module Eight - Performance-linked communication shows how to entrench mechanisms for communicating, analysing and discussing performance feedback on the outputs produced for customers and stakeholders so as to continuously improve.

Part III: Implementation

Consists of two modules and an optimal workbook.

Module Nine -Implementation: Guidelines and Pitfalls provides guidelines for implementation, and pitfalls to avoid, based on the experience gained and the lessons learned through years of hands-on implementation in the field.

Module Ten - Case Studies concludes the course with case studies written by six organisations who have implemented performance measures.

Performance Measures Applied Workbook - comprises of a series of questions, exercises and forms designed to facilitate the implementation of a performance measurement system.

What our clients  say about Performance Measures Applied

Based on years of practical experience, this is essential for those responsible for improving productivity and quality, and for everyone interested in gaining an insight and dispelling the mysteries that surround the subject.

Company Director Journal

Companies line up for ‘how to’ guide.

The Weekend Australian

Generally, our department has a much more unified sense of direction and purpose which is a vast improvement on the way things used to be. We all work smarter. We discuss things more. More operators want to be developed and show commitment and enthusiasm – a new level of consciousness has developed.

Dennis Sparrow (G. H. Michell)

This is the only material I have ever read that relates directly to our problems. I can relate to page after page of it. If you had done an audit of our company, you would have come up with this manual. This is what we need; consultants who can tell us HOW to solve our problems.

Joe Allen (Mossman Central Mill Co.)

Course Content

The course is in three parts.

• Part One is an introduction to the essential components of team performance and why teamwork is important,
• Part Two covers the essential components of team performance comprehensively and forms the core of the course and
• Part Three is dedicated to guidelines for implementing a team performance system, the most common pitfalls, case studies and team models.

While each module can stand alone, together they form a comprehensive team performance system. Each module contains examples, summaries, checklists, glossaries and quality standards. This course consists of 12 modules divided into three parts.

Part I: Preparation

Consists of three modules.

Introduction - Introduces the course and the authors.

Module One - The Big Picture provides a summary of the essential components of team performance. These are the basic components necessary to improve performance: individual performance, team performance and organisational performance. The aim is to implement these basics so as to build successful, high-performance teams. This module also clarifies the scope of the book.

Module Two - Why Develop Teams? addresses the impetuses driving the implementation of organisational teams, namely, the inability of traditional organisation structures to meet current employee needs, a highly competitive market place and the need for organisations to provide total stakeholder satisfaction to survive and grow. The module discusses how the essential components of team performance can assist with the development of teams.

Part II: The Essential Components of Team Performance

Consists of seven modules.

Modules three to nine address each of the essential components of team performance. These modules form the core of the course.

Module Three - A Unified Sense of Direction means the entire organisation, and all the teams and the individuals which make it up, are pulling in the same direction. The first step in the development of a team-based organisation is clarity, focus and agreement about the values, vision and mission of the organisation. This will focus the team on what is important, where it wants to be, and how it will get there.

Module Four - Role Clarification shows how to identify the customers and stakeholders in order to help define and clarify the roles of the various teams and individuals that make up an organisation. An essential step in achieving success through team performance is defining the team and clarifying both team and individual roles.

Module Five - Outputs, Measures and Targets show how to define the team's roles, now that customers and stakeholders have been clarified. Customer needs and expectations are clarified by developing a set of team outputs, measures and targets.

Module Six - Performance-linked Communication focuses on communication from a performance point of view. It answers the question 'What communication skills, systems and processes are needed to improve performance, to improve the delivery of outputs to customers and stakeholders?' A successful communication system must have entrenched mechanisms for communicating, analysing and discussing performance feedback on the outputs produced for customers and stakeholders so as to continuously improve productivity, quality and teamwork.

Module Seven - Performance-linked Learning shows how to ensure the delivery of the right skills and knowledge, in the right place, at the right time. This is achieved by implementing an ongoing, purposeful performance-linked learning system that is an integral part of the continuous improvement system. The outcome - training focused on identified output and performance requirements.

Module Eight - Team-based Organisation Structures describes current organisational structures, stressing that there is no best structure, rather the best structure will best facilitate the meeting of the following criteria: support the strategy; accommodate the opportunities and threats in the internal and external environment; achieve autonomous outputs, measures and targets; and satisfy the current needs and values of all employees.

Module Nine - Rewarding Performance shows how to establish reward systems that satisfy the motivational needs of all employees, and result in measurable team and organisational performance improvement. The module addresses positive recognition systems and team-based financial reward systems, showing how to implement a system that rewards performance, not mediocrity.

Part III: Implementation

Consists of two modules.

Module Ten - Implementation: Guidelines and Pitfalls provides guidelines for implementation and pitfalls to avoid. This chapter is based on the experience gained and the lessons learned from years of hands-on implementation in the field.

Module Eleven - Case Studies and Team Models concludes the book with a selection of case studies written by Australian organisational teams that have implemented our processes as well as model examples of some of the basic components of team performance selected from live teams. Titles include:

• Creation of self-directed work teams in the wool processing industry
• Cultural change in the electricity industry
• Performance workshops in the mining industry
• The ideal corporate training department
• The ideal haulier (truck) maintenance system
• A Meals-on-Wheels team in local government
• Teamwork promotes a smooth flow
• Teamwork - the holy grail?
• Teamwork must contribute to outcomes.

What our clients say about Success Through Team Performance

Monty is passionate about business improvement using teams. Through his workshops he ensures there is a consistent and unified sense of direction at all a level within the organisation. He also ensures the team goals are aligned both horizontally and vertically. Monty is unique in his ability to work at all levels of the organisation, but some of his best results are at the grass root levels where the actual work gets done and where the biggest productivity gains can often be found. Monty is a change agent and his systemic approach ensures changes are embedded in the organisation and have long lasting and positive effects.

John Hall, Managing Director, Ricoh

Monty has worked with a number of our manufacturing work teams in providing training to our employees that engages them to come to the understanding that they have an important contribution to their own work environment. We now have a more engaged workforce in which ideas for improvement are communicated, more employees feel empowered to Act which improves our own business performance.

Paul Manks, General Manager, Boral

Monty is an exceptional business consultant with high expectations of himself and his range of services to exceed his clients’ needs. We encountered this through the "Self-Managed Teams' workshops in a previous organization ( Michel) that I worked and where the outcomes far exceeded what we were looking for in making 'change' to our operational functions. The outcomes of these workshops made significant improvements to our organisational outputs, measures and objectives. In addition to this, the morale of the workforce improved more than 100% on pre/post workshop surveys. I would have no hesitation in recommending Monty to any other organisation and also, to read his books on various business strategies.

Brian Peel, Training and Development Manager, Michel

Course Content

In showing how to build a performance-linked communication system, this course presents 11 modules organised within three parts. While each module is designed to stand alone, it is best to read the modules in their numbered sequence to gain the best understanding of performance-linked communication.

Part I: Communication

Consists of three modules.

Defines performance-linked communication; presents an overview of its components, and discusses its significance.

Introduction - defines performance-linked communication, presents an overview of the content of the course, and provides information about its authors.

Module One - The big picture locates performance-linked communication within the context of the ten basic components of team performance necessary to implement and sustain a continuous performance improvement system.

Module Two - Why performance-linked communication is important describes the contribution of performance-linked communication to the continuous improvement of the organisation and its sub-systems.

Part II: What to Communicate

Consists of five modules.

Module Three – A unified sense of direction shows how to develop and communicate a shared understanding of what is important to the organisation and the team (values), where it wants to be (vision), and its main purpose (mission). A unified sense of direction is the first component that must be communicated if an organisation is to be successful.

Module Four – Strategy is made up of two parts: first an environmental scan is performed, which helps identify where we are now and what trends are emerging, followed by the development of strategic goals which incorporate the information gleaned from the environmental scan. Once complete, a road map is planned to show how to get from where we are now to where we want to be. The communication of the organisation's road map is the second component that must be communicated if the organisation is to be successful.

Module Five – Outputs, performance measures and targets show how to translate the organisation's strategic goals into the daily activities of the people doing the work. This is achieved by identifying and defining stakeholder expectations and then developing targets to meet those expectations. Targets are determined by clarifying the outputs, or end results that stakeholders require, determining performance measures so that output achievement can be measured, and setting targets showing the amount, quality and time frame in which a particular output needs to be achieved.

Module Six – Performance feedback is the official information from the system that tells people how they are doing against their targets. It is necessary to monitor and control target variance so as to continuously improve the quality, quantity and timeliness of outputs to identified stakeholders.
While the performance-linked communication system is designed to answer the question, who needs what information, in what order, to achieve the performance goals of the organisation, performance feedback is designed to feedback this information to the person doing the work, in terms relevant to him/her. Performance feedback is the foundation of the performance-linked communication system.

Module Seven – Reward systems shows how to establish and implement a reward system which rewards performance, not mediocrity. The module addresses positive recognition systems and team-based financial reward systems, showing how to establish reward systems that satisfy the motivational needs of all employees and result in measurable team and organisational performance improvement.

Part III: Implementation

Consists of two modules.

Module Eight – Performance-linked communication system infrastructure shows how to support the performance-linked communication system with the appropriate infrastructure.

Module Nine – Effective delivery of performance feedback is devoted to the implementation of performance feedback, given our belief that performance feedback is the backbone of the performance-linked communication system. It addresses the delivery of both verbal and non-verbal performance information.

Module Ten – Implementation: guidelines, pitfalls, examples is a summary of key lessons which we have learned from years of hands-on implementation in the field. We share implementation guidelines, pitfalls and model examples selected from live teams.

What our clients say about Performance Linked Communication

Many consultants are proficient in their field and able to communicate and transfer knowledge at a management level. However few are also able to connect with employees at factory floor level and transfer knowledge in the way that Monty is able to do. I been consistently surprised at how he is able to effectively engage the employees and help them to transform themselves in to effective high performance teams. I can recommend Monty to any business serious about creating a competitive edge through the development of high performance teams.

Duncan Fraser General Manager Boral

I think the material is absolutely fantastic. I like the way they are structured in a very logical, practical format with examples all the way through which help to clarify points. The checklists are invaluable and the questionnaires help to reinforce the learning from each module. The phone contact and service provided by Sacher Associates has also been exceptional and you certainly live the values you espouse!

Penny Crittall, Pindan Group

I wanted to compliment you on the quality and format. As you would acknowledge, the principles are not new but the presentation and clarity is excellent - in fact, the best I've ever seen. Congratulations on a first class presentation.

G.J. Neilan, Queensland Manager, FAI Insurance

Course Content

This Course is in three parts.

• Part One is preparation on  how the performance-linked learning system works,
• Part Two is the eight sections of the system itself and
• Part Three is the implementation and workbook. Examples, summaries, checklists, glossaries and quality standards are included throughout the course
  Below is a summary of the contents.

Part I: Preparation

Consists of three modules.

Introduction

The performance-linked learning system positions the course; discusses the goals of organisational learning and provides an overview of the performance-linked learning system.

The Big Picture  aims to position learning within the context of all the the essential components of team pormance. These components cover all the aspects necessary to implement and sustain a continuous performance improvement system. The scope of the course is also clarified.

Part II: The System

Section One: A Unified Sense of Direction 
Focus your organisation such that all teams are pulling in the same direction. The first step in the development of a performance-linked learning system is clarity, focus and agreement about it's purpose. This will focus the team on what is important, where it wants to be, and how it will get there. 

Section Two: Environmental Analysis 
Assess how the organisation is currently performing so a clear gap between current organisational performance and desired performance can emerge. This information will be used to input into the organisation's learning strategy.

Section Three: Performance Analysis 
Considers all the factors that can influence the performance of the target area, of which competency gaps is just one. A performance analysis is necessary to pinpoint the performance problem and to determine the appropriate solution of which learning is just one option.

Section Four: Learning Needs Analysis 
Shows how to answer the question , who needs what competencies and what order to achieve the team's outputs, measures and targets.

Section Five: Learning Strategy 
Provides the overall game plan or map (the "how") to help direct the organisation from where it is to where it wants to be. The learning strategy defines the way forward to equip the organisation with the right competencies at the right time and in the right place to ensure the achievement of the overall strategic plan.

Section Six: Learning Operational Plans 
Shows how to translate the learning strategies and competency gaps into specific outputs, measures and targets for a one-year period. Identify who in the organisation needs to be recruited, managed, trained and divested for the organisation to ensure that the achievement of performance goals are not hampered by competency gaps.

Section Seven: Learning Budget 
Shows how to ensure that the cost of closing the competency gap is worth the expense. It shows how to quantify the costs of learning; helps determine how to fund all expenditure necessary to achieve the learning goals of the organisation, as well as to monitor and control the usage of those funds.

Section Eight: Evaluation 
Shows how to evaluate the entire performance-linked learning system, and each learning intervention that is implemented.

Part III: Implementation

Guidelines for implementation and pitfalls to be avoided are provided for when implementing a performance-linked learning system, based on the experience gained and the lessons learned through years of hands-on implementation in the field.

Module Ten - Examples 
Examples of components of the performance-linked learning system.

What our clients say about Performance Linked Learning

I think the materials are absolutely fantastic. I like the way they are structured in a very logical, practical format with examples all the way through which help to clarify points. The checklists are invaluable and the questionnaires help to reinforce the learning from each module.The phone contact and service provided by Sacher Associates has also been exceptional and you certainly live the values you espouse!

Penny Crittall, Pindan Group

I wanted to compliment you on the quality and format in your manuals. As you would acknowledge, the principles are not new but the presentation and clarity is excellent - in fact, the best I've ever seen. Congratulations on a first class presentation.

G.J. Neilan, Queensland Manager, FAI Insurance

Sacher materials work. Customers are reporting positive results, high levels of usage and high levels of satisfaction. Sacher manuals deliver quality.
Past customers are 'true believers' or even fairly 'evangelical' in their perceptions of value derived from the product.
91% reported Sacher Associates materials competitively superior in the marketplace
90% reported either satisfied or very satisfied.

Extracts from a Customer Satisfaction Survey completed by an independent consulting group