Chapter 17
Common Critical Success Factors and Their Likely Measures

Although organizations need to go through the processes suggested in this book, I am always asked to give examples of common critical success factors (CSFs) and their likely measures that might work in both private and public organizations. Exhibit 17.1 shows some key result indicators (KRIs), result indicators (RIs), performance indicators (PIs), and some key performance indicators (KPIs) that will work.

Exhibit 17.1 Some Common CSFs and Their KRIs, RIs, PIs, and KPIs

Common CSF KRI RI PI Possible KPI
Stay, say, strive engagement with staff. Staff satisfaction (if monitored at least three to four times a year). Turnover of experienced staff who have been with the organization for more than three years (reported monthly). Number of staff innovations implemented, by team (reported weekly).
Staff who have been ill for over two weeks who do not have a back-to-work program (reported weekly to manager and general manager).
  1. Staff who have handed in their notice today. Staff in key positions would be notified directly to the chief executive officer (CEO), other staff would be reported to the relevant general manager or senior manager. (The CEO has the opportunity to try to persuade the staff member to stay.)
  2. Number of initiatives implemented after the staff-satisfaction survey (monitored weekly after survey for up to three months).
  3. Teams not represented in the in-house courses to be held in the next two weeks (reported daily to CEO).
  4. Accidents and breaches of safety (reported to CEO immediately).
  5. New staff who have not attended an induction program within two weeks of joining (reported weekly to CEO).
  6. Number of CEO recognitions in past week/past two weeks.
  7. Number of CEO recognitions planned for next week/next two weeks.
Recruiting the right people all the time. Number of staff who have left within 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of joining organization, by division (reported quarterly). Number of managers trained in recruiting practices (reported monthly).
  1. Recruitments in progress when last interview was over two weeks ago.
  2. Date of confirmed testing of candidates' capabilities (reported weekly).
  1. Key position job offers that are over 48 hours old and have not yet been accepted by the chosen candidate (reported daily to CEO/general manager).
  2. List of short-listed candidates when next round of interviews has yet to be organized (reported daily).
Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others. Number of key positions with at least two protégés, by division (reported quarterly). Number of high- performing staff, by division (reported monthly).
Number of promotions for high-performing staff planned in the next three months (reported monthly).
  1. Number of planned recognitions in next week/next two weeks (maintained weekly by each manager).
  2. Number of planned celebrations in next week/next two weeks (maintained weekly by each manager).
  3. List of high-performing staff who have been in same position for over two years (quarterly list).
  4. Date of next executive course to be attended by senior management team members (monthly update).
  1. Number of CEO recognitions in past week/past two weeks.
  2. Number of CEO recognitions planned for next week/next two weeks.
Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others. Number of managers who have attended leadership training (quarterly by manager level). Number of managers who are scoring over _______ on their leadership from the 360 feedback surveys (by manager level).
  1. Date of next leadership program and the list of suggested attendees by division (reported weekly to CEO).
  2. Date of next 360 feedbacks for level-1 and level-2 managers (reported monthly).
 Number of vacant leadership places on in-house course (reported daily to CEO in the last three weeks before the course's scheduled date).
Staff satisfaction with empowerment and fulfillment (assumes a survey is three to four times a year). Date of next survey (reported monthly). Number of initiatives implemented after the staff-satisfaction survey (monitored weekly after survey for up to three months).
  1. Percentage of level-1 and level-2 managers who have mentors (reported quarterly).
  2. Percentage of high-performing staff who have a mentor (reported quarterly).
  1. Number of high-performing staff who do not have a mentor (reported weekly to general managers).
  2. List of level-3 managers who do not have mentors (reported weekly to general managers).
    Note: These measures would only need to be operational for a short time on a weekly basis.
List of level-1 and level-2 managers who do not have mentors, reported weekly to the CEO. This measure would only need to be operational for a short time on a weekly basis.
Innovation is a daily activity (finding better ways to do the things we do every day). Innovations implemented over past 18 months by division.
  1. Innovations that are running behind (weekly update).
  2. Number of patents.
  3. Date of prototype completion.
  4. Date of next pilot test.
  1. Number of innovations implemented last month by team (reported monthly to the CEO).
  2. Date of next innovation training sessions (monthly).
  3. Number of managers who have been through the innovation course (monthly).
  4. Date of next innovation to our key services (monthly).
 Number of innovations planned for implementation in the next 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days (reported weekly to CEO).
Abandonment: Willingness to abandon initiatives, opportunities that are not working or unlikely to succeed. Number of abandonments over past 18 months by division (reported monthly). Time saved each month through abandonments by team (reported monthly featuring the top-quartile performing teams in this area).
  1. List of abandonments in last month by team (reported monthly).
  2. Number of committees/task forces disbanded this month.
  3. Number of monthly reports terminated.
  4. Date of planned replacement of service that has now become outdated (monthly).
 Number of abandonments to be actioned in the next 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days (reported weekly to CEO).
Making the right decisions by consensus with ready contingency plans. Major implementations in past 18 months showing degree of success (exceeded expectations, met expectations, did not meet expectations, abandoned). Major projects awaiting consensus sign-off (reported weekly to CEO).
  1. Managers with the most success with implementations over past three years (reported quarterly to CEO).
  1. Major projects awaiting decisions that are now running behind schedule (reported weekly to CEO).
  2. Major projects in progress without contingency plans (reported weekly to CEO).
Delivery in full on time, all the time, to our key customers. Percentage of on-time in-full delivery to key customers, and to other customers. (Show past 18 months.) Percentage of on-time in-full delivery to other customers (reported weekly to general managers).
  1. Teams with the best on-time delivery record (reported weekly to general managers and all staff).
  2. Calls on hold longer than _______ seconds (reported immediately).
  1. Emergency response time over a given duration (reported immediately to CEO).
  2. Late deliveries/incomplete deliveries to key customers (reported 24/7 to CEO, general manager, and all staff).
  3. Complaints from our key customers that have not been resolved within two hours (reported 24/7 to CEO and general managers).
Getting closer to our customers. 18-month trend showing take-up of new services. Date of next outside-in activity to enhance senior-management-team understanding of customer needs (e.g., CEO working undercover in customer interface frontline positions).
  1. Number of initiatives implemented to improve key customer satisfaction (reported monthly).
  2. List of key customers where time since last order is > X weeks (reported weekly to sales team and general managers).
  3. Date of next major customer focus group (reported quarterly).
  4. Date of next initiative to attract targeted noncustomers (reported quarterly).
  1. Date of next visit to major customers by customer name (reported weekly to CEO and general managers).
  2. Late deliveries/incomplete deliveries to our key customers (reported 24/7 to CEO, general manager, and all staff).
  3. Key customer complaints not resolved within two hours (reported to CEO immediately).
We finish what we start. Status of all major projects reported monthly. Number of projects finished in the month.
  1. Number of overdue reports/documents (reported weekly to senior management team).
  2. Number of projects that are managed/staffed by contractors or consultants (reported monthly).
  1. List of late projects, by manager (reported weekly to senior management team).
  2. List of projects that are at risk of non-completion (project is unassigned, manager has left, no progress has been made in past three months, etc.).
A bias for action. New initiatives completed. Show past 18 months. New initiatives that will be fully operational in the next three months by department.
  1. Number of recognized mistakes highlighted last month (if the number is too low, you have an unhealthy environment).
  2. Number of bureaucratic processes abandoned in the month.
  1. Number of prototypes/pilots commenced in month by division.
  2. Date of next new service initiative.
Breeding success. List of key successes in the past 18 months. New initiatives that will be fully operational in the next three months by department.
  1. Number of positive press releases issued in the past 30 days/60 days (reported monthly).
  2. Number of papers/radio stations who have used press release (reported monthly, by major press release).
  1. Number of recognitions made last week by CEO and each member of senior management team.
  2. Number of CEO recognitions planned for next week/next two weeks.