Identify the corporate objectives.

·       The first step is to ensure that the corporate objectives are well thought out by the participants and placed in a written plan so that all understand.

·       Are the participants clearly made to understand corporate objectives?

·       Do they affirm their understanding in writing in a written document?

·       Corporate objectives must be periodically reaffirmed by management and the team leader.

·       Create a written action plan and stay on the execution schedule.  Repeat this process as the job performance matures

·       Are individual participants advocates of corporate objectives, or do some work as a counter force for personal power, ego, or entitlement?

·       Personal power and personal objectives can sometimes act as barriers to success. The management team or the team leader should assess the personalities of the participants and determine how to motivate them. Use positive feedback widely as a method the reinforce how well they are doing. 

·       It’s essential to recognize when these factors are hindering progress and take steps to address them.

·       If personal power and personal objectives get in the way, meet the violator(s) head-on to discuss corporate objectives and request that they get on board.

·       If you can turn around the person, great; if not, move them out as quickly as possible.

·       A contrary force against moving forward has a great counter force, and either cancels out progress or acts as an oppositional force.

·       What are the elements of the job, down to finite components

The team:

·       The team leader or manager must instill a high level of trust in the participants and let them know that you want them to think outside the box, in creativity, and processes.

·       Personally monitor the results of the trust periodically.

·       The Team may consist of one or ten individuals responsible for completing the job to the most professional and creative level possible.

·       Identify the team participants and their position in each component of their job.

·       Ask each to submit a written overview of their understanding of the job, how to complete it, and list efficiencies and inefficiencies to make sure that they are thinking out of the box.

·       Asking for periodic updates of their understanding of the job, tasks, and process will be helpful to create a positive feedback loop.

·       Promotes accountability and transparency: Benchmarking results should be shared with all stakeholders.  This transparent approach keeps the team aligned with project targets and holds them accountable for results, thereby increasing stakeholder confidence and making them feel more informed.

·       Many participants can fall through the cracks and be afraid to assert their position of importance.

·       Make sure the participants are not “rounding up the usual suspects of answers” to placate the leader.

What are the elements of the job, down to finite components

·       Identify the processes that are the top 10% in importance for job completion

·       Remain fully aware of the 80/20 rule, as you accomplish 80% of the results in the finite 20% of time.

·       Benchmark the top 20% and focus energies there.

·       The same goes for the job participants, that is, 20% will accomplish 80% of the results, while the others merely go along for the paycheck.

·       Identify the top 20% and systematically eliminate the remainder.

·       They may be happier hiding on some other corporate payroll

Efficiencies and inefficiencies:

•     Identifies inefficiencies: By measuring individual tasks, you can pinpoint bottlenecks and redundancies that hinder productivity.  This helps identify specific activities that consume the most time or are costly, allowing you to streamline or eliminate them.
•    Improves quality control: Benchmarking tasks help establish and maintain quality standards throughout a project.  For instance, in software development, you can benchmark different cycles to find optimal approaches.
•    Refines cost-effectiveness: Analyzing the cost per task can identify more cost-effective solutions and prevent budget overruns at a micro-level, giving you a greater sense of control and efficiency.
•    Empowers team members: Performance benchmarking on an individual task level provides specific, objective feedback to team members, empowering them to improve their skills and refine their own processes, thereby boosting their confidence and sense of capability. 

Peak performance:

·       Be willing to accept some conflict and chaos in the processes.

·       Review industry standards, competitors, and historical data.  Think outside the box, and take risks. Be a non-conformist. 

·       Drives continuous improvement: Benchmarking every project creates a reliable database of past performance.  This enables you to track trends over time and ensure that improvements are sustained and not just a one-time event.

•    Assesses success accurately: By defining and measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) like budget adherence, timelines, and customer satisfaction, you gain an objective and accurate measure of success for every project.
•    Comparing your project performance to that of your competitors helps you understand your market position and identify areas for improvement.  This insight allows you to capitalize on their weaknesses and adopt strategies to stay ahead.
•    Promote accountability and transparency: Benchmarking results should be shared with all stakeholders.  This transparent approach keeps the team aligned with project targets and holds them accountable for results, thereby increasing stakeholder confidence and making them feel more informed.
•    Validates estimate: Using historical benchmarking data helps create more accurate and reliable forecasts for future project budgets, schedules, and resource needs.