Customer Reviews

Drive Business Performance: Enabling a Culture of Intelligent Execution (Microsoft Executive Leadership Series)

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"Drive Business Performance: Enabling a Culture of Intelligent Execution" by Bruno Aziza and Joey Fitts represents much more than a demystification of performance management terminology. The book is neither a re-telling of the benefits of performance management, nor a veiled attempt to shape a business case for PerformancePoint. Instead, the authors introduce novel ideas backed by case study research, culminating in a pervasive and flexible model for business transformation within the scope of performance improvement.

The Culture of Performance (CoP) Model presented by the authors bridges a gap between the establishment of a performance measurement framework (e.g., Balanced Scorecard, TQM, Lean, etc.), and the tools and methods brought to bear in executing performance measurement (read: Business Intelligence). CoP is a comprehensive model for evolving organisations into the strategy-focused enterprises that Drs. Kaplan and Norton envisioned years earlier. To be certain, we all stand on the shoulders of giants.

That the authors chose to include "culture" in the name of their model cannot be understated: it directly addresses organisation-wide cultural transformation as it relates to the adoption of performance management (through the model's six phases). The authors demonstrate, with compelling evidence, that a company is more likely to achieve its desired outcomes when all its members adopt a performance-oriented mindset. Here, case studies on Expedia, Energizer and The Veterans' Health Administration (U.S.) each strike a chord on the sometimes painful transformation to a culture of performance. Aziza and Fitts make these findings practical, encouraging incubation through scored questionnaires, supporting capability models (MAP) and guiding principles. The final chapter of the book provides an excellent summary that aligns said scores to an entry point into the CoP model; this provides a reasonable indication of where an organisation may begin to improve business performance.

This excellent book warrants careful review and consideration-- it represents fresh and illuminating thinking from two of the most prominent figures in the field of performance management. For executives, directors and managers looking to improve business performance (as well as consultants specialising in performance management) consider this book essential reading.

I've just finished reading Drive Business Performance and I'd recommend it highly to anyone trying to work out how to actually enable an organisation to realise the benefits of performance management. Many organisations have tried and relatively few have actually succeeded in putting performance management at the very core of it's DNA. This book provides a great blend of (new) theoretical concepts, blueprints for success from organisations such as Hilton Hotels and Fortis, and most importantly a well-structured guide for execution.

Aziza & Fitts provide an intelligent perspective on what it takes (and means) to create a "Culture of Performance". The book relies on real world examples rather than conceptual theories peppered with today's favorite jargon. Their approach is refreshing in that the content is backed by existing business environments with a proven track record for success. Empowering individuals and holding them accountable is an absolute necessity. Success is derived from surrounding yourself with the best possible people... and then staying out of their way. This book should be mandatory reading for all employees of any organization. True paradigm shifts occur when EVERYONE has a clear understanding of the goals and objectives - not just a few key players.

Bottom line: this is a very good book on the business benefits and high-level "how to" of enterprise performance management (EPM).

While the authors refer to this domain as `performance management,' it's not to be confused with the annual Human Resources review process, but rather all of the people, process, and technology involved in sustainably executing your strategy: including monitoring, analyzing, and planning the key drivers of value for your business.

This book is not too technical nor too theoretical. It has the right balance of business perspective, systems enablement, and process maturity to give a good overview of the promise of EPM and strategy execution. It makes liberal use of case studies, examples and stories to illustrate points and give more depth to the insights.

Some highlights:

* Fact-based, data-driven decision making (p.12)
* Strategic, Operational, and Tactical Decisions (p28)
* The Foundation for Decisions: information & trust (p32)
* Competitive Benchmarking (p16)
* The `right' metrics (p49, 69)
* Line of Sight visibility (p.93)
* Accountability Mapping (p 226) and also how difficult it is to visualize and map metric relationships (p. 69)
* A very good "uber" model for determining where to focus your efforts (p.254)

They also follow-up the book with more information on their companion website at http://www.cultureofperformance.com

All in all, a very good read and certainly belongs on the bookshelf of any EPM manager and any CIO and CFO....hopefully dog-eared and well-worn.

At first I was skeptical, but then by the time I finished it, I had something I could actually use. The book goes where few management books dare to go - to actually talk about how to change a business culture. Wow!

There are precise examples of how change is made, with company stories, that allow for organizations to understand that change is possible. This book is now on my must reads list, and I will give it to every executive I work with.

I'd put this book before the Kaplan Balanced Scorecard books and even before Competing on Analytics. The style is concise, the case studies are relevant and the roadmap guidance to changing an organization is approachable.

The authors did their homework before writing this book. There are many solid real life examples of how successful performance management implementations help company's exceed their goals. They go into great detail that you can take and apply to your situation. This book is another great read in the Microsoft Exec Leadership series. Order a copy if you are planning to embark on the BPM path or if your company needs a better way to manage by performance.

In my opinion, "Drive Business Performance" is more practical and clear about Performance Management than anything I have seen from Kaplan-Norton. (It is actually more readable, too.)

Levend Beriker, Managing Partner
Alta Bering Management Technology Consultants Ltd
Vancouver, BC

I just finished reading "Drive Business Performance - Enabling a Culture of Intelligent Execution" by Bruno Aziza and Joey Fitts. Wow, what a fantastic book! It is one of the best I have read on the subject of Performance Management. It finds the right balance of not being too theoretical or too techie. I love the fact that it offers a broad education on the concepts and terminology associated with Performance Management but, at the same time, is highly actionable. It serves a diverse audience. I would recommend it not just to a CEO but for an organization's entire executive team. It offers the potential for some great post-reading dialog.

My favorite part is their defined "Six Stages of Performance Management Value". For those who know me, it aligns nicely with my "crawl, walk, run" approach to business application development. The "money picture" is how they show the six stages, listed below, in concentric circles; illustrating the evolution and associated benefits of a commitment to Performance Management.

This is actually a book that you can read cover to cover and feel like you get value from every chapter. Read it then buy a copy for your boss... then find a way to get to the sixth stage!

Bruno and Joey do an AMAZING job of conveying value, actions to take and why the actions should be taken. Their approach is also not connected to any 'one style' of culture development or improvement (which I like). The techniques they use can be integrated seemlessly into any style of culture development and will get you results.

I recommend this book to company leaders and executives who are trying to implement changes and see the value in performance management, but don't necessarily see a path to accomplishing the implementation. This book is also a good fit for leaders and executives who have implimented a formal style of culture developement, but are noticing weaknesses or areas that are not covered.

This book provides a great blend of concepts and blueprints, accompanied by examples of how companies have implimented these techniques successfully. It is an easy read and the forewards are great as well. The only reason why I gave this book a 4 out 5 is I found the last section to be a bit wordy and longer than necessary, however if you are intending to impliment their steps verbatium, this part will be of high value to you and you should not be swayed by my opinion of this. Other than that, I love the book, highly recommend it and have become a regular follower of Bruno since!

With a foreword by none other than Drs Kaplan and Norton you can be sure that software is not central to this book's message. Drive Business Performance is part of Wiley's Microsoft Executive Leadership Series, however the only time "Microsoft" is mentioned is when referencing quotes from Steve Ballmer or Chris Liddell. The intended audience is a business one not technical, although technical people would do well to get their hands on a copy nonetheless.

Fitts and Aziza provide a comprehensive look at what Performance Management (PM) is and just how successful organisations can be when they succeed in creating a "Culture of Intelligent Execution". Central to the book's philosophy are what the authors have dubbed the "Six Stages of Performance Management Value". Targeted lists of questions at the end of each section enable readers to assess their organisation's current PM capabilities.

For mine the book's greatest strength are the anecdotes and quotes peppered throughout to underscore each topic. It is obvious the authors went to a great deal of effort to interview high-ranking members of companies who spearheaded some very successful PM implementations. The information gathered in these interviews coupled with well-chosen quotes from the likes of Winston Churchill, Henry Ford and many others serve as evidence to support Fitts and Aziza's Six Stages and the culture of performance management in general.

PM is not just something that can be thrown together in a few weeks by a couple of interns, it is an organisation-wide paradigm shift that takes time, effort and dedication to bear fruit. As recounted many times within the book, the rewards to organisations who implement an effective PM initiative can be very substantial.

This is a great book to hand to anyone who is considering implementing any form of PM. It details plenty of good "See! They did it, why can't we?" case studies as well as providing practical guidance describing how to do it within your own organisation. Highly recommended reading.