The famous management guru Tom Peters is recognized for his measured, simple and clear style. However, his message is not too subtle when it comes to companies that do not invest in the training of their personnel: "Companies that do not have plans for the training of their personnel are stupid."
While "stupid" is a subjective term, many researchers have objectively confirmed that training not only leads to better-trained and more-motivated staff, but can also lead to drastic changes in the company's financial results.
If you are immersed in a Balanced Scorecard project or have plans to start a new one, don't neglect the training. Your Balanced Scorecard will greatly benefit if you accompany it with a carefully designed, well planned and skillfully executed in-use training plan.
Let's see what are the essential aspects that your training plan should contain:
I always advise my clients that when they embark on the implementation of their Balanced Scorecard do not forget to "put the horse in front of the car", and not the other way around. This means having a clear definition of the objectives sought with the use of the Balanced Scorecard and other critical aspects.
The same advice applies to training on the Balanced Scorecard. Before offering your “BSC 101” program, it is necessary to define certain critical aspects to achieve an adequate knowledge of this tool.
First: who is the program for? The project is likely to require different training sessions for different types of users. Pre-defining possible user profiles will help you better design the training program.
Once the user groups have been defined, it is advisable to carry out a small investigation on the degree of knowledge that they currently have of the Balanced Scorecard and compare it with the degree of knowledge necessary for them to use it efficiently.
Next we will mention a group of questions that you can ask to carry out this investigation:
- What degree of knowledge do user groups have about the use of indicators to measure performance, and especially the use of indicators under the Cause-Effect methodology that is used in the Balanced Scorecard? What is the new knowledge? What should be emphasized in the training program so that future users can use measurements that are aligned with the strategy? What are the traditional cultural concepts of the company that must be modified in order to implement the system of indicators presented in the Balanced Scorecard?
Once you have information about the situation of future users and their needs, you can start with the design of your training plan. However, let me make a warning before I begin: You are about to face an adult education program.
People learn in different ways: some prefer written material while others respond better to animated images. On the other hand, there are people who prefer learning within groups, while others are more prone to individual study. You must ensure that the material to be distributed is attractive to any type of adult profile involved.
To start with the program, it is advisable to distribute a leafy material on the importance and benefits of working with a performance measurement system and the basic concepts of the Balanced Scorecard system. These concepts are currently well developed and there is an abundance of top quality literature.
There are also many articles and cases available by industry, sector, government, etc. And there are good books written by specialists. It is a good idea to buy some of them to distribute between the work team and yourself.
In most organizations, BSC training is carried out through workshops and seminars. Unless the company has highly trained and dedicated project personnel, it is recommended to seek consultants and specialists for the training and project launch stages. A good consultant will save you time and especially many mistakes.
It will also transfer experience gained from other projects in similar or competitive industries. The credibility of the consultant is a critical aspect. When the facilitator's experience and knowledge are great, the project tends to run smoothly.
The topics to be covered in your training program must contain, as a minimum, the following aspects:
- Definition of BSC, its history and evolution. Basic BSC concepts: Insights, Strategy Maps, Dashboard and Dashboard, etc. Successful cases, especially those from your own industry. The BSC as a management system: the cascade effect to align effort towards objectives, linking the BSC with budgets and compensations. Reports: development of new reporting methods focused on performance information.
Then, just as your BSC will grow and develop, so must the training process be maintained.
The steps outlined above will allow you to vigorously launch your BSC project, but to maintain it you will need to continue your training policy.
When the BSC begins to evolve you can implement more complex courses, such as Alignment (Cascading) and technology.
Finally, a warning. In their effort to implement the BSC, many companies make the mistake of dismissing training as we have described it here. This is also because the very simplicity of the BSC concept conspires against the perception of the need for training.
But a seasoned implementation team will be able to warn of this danger and not allow training to wane over time. This will be the antidote you need to avoid poorly designed BSCs, lack of use, and weak alignment within the organization.
Take the time to carry out a correct educational program at BSC and in a short time you will be satisfied with the results you will obtain.
