The Performance Pipeline: Getting the Right Performance At Every Level of Leadership

by Stephen Drotter

The guide that defines the results required at each organizational level to sustain business success It's not enough to build a company full of people with leadership skills. The Performance Pipeline digs deep into the real work of executing business results at each leadership layer. This book gives leaders in any industry an advantage over the competition.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Management, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 2, 2011

Reviews

[Stefan Bruun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the most influential books for me on how I think about people development.

I first read the Leadership Pipeline (LP) which I found very intriguing. The Performance Pipeline (PP) is the implementation manual. You can easily read PP without reading LP first as the intro summarises the main concepts quite well.

The Specialist Pipeline (SP) is a super companion. It doesn’t relate to leadership development, but, as the title indicates, the specialist track. While PP is more practical the LP, SP is by far the most practical and brings examples of customised implementation which are easily transferable to the leadership concept as well.

[Tõnu Vahtra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read this book then there is probably no need to read the previous one (Leadership Pipeline). When comparing the latter then it provides more context around the Leadership Pipeline model itself and what to keep in mind holistically when implementing it in the organization. This book takes more practical approach, characterizes each level and passages between the levels and how to approach the transitions and development within levels.
I find it useful that there are many checklists provided for the levels:
*Shifts in work values compared to previous levels.
*What are the results expected from each level.
*What characterizes full performance.
*What characterizes exceptional performance.
*What skill, knowledge and experience is needed on each level.
*What are the indications of shortcomings on specific level.

The above items are provided per work area:
*Professional/Technical/Operational
*People development
*Management
*Leadership
*Relationships
*Growth & Innovation
*Social responsibility

Expected key results per level:
Self-Manager - (DELIVERY) Deliver the product or services that actually add value to customers.
Manager of Others - (ENABLING) Enable delivery through role clarity, training, coaching and measurement.
Manager of Managers - (PRODUCTIVITY) Integrate the pieces for true productivity. Asking the right questions from those managers: not about how to solve specific problem but how to improve productivity in the unit.
Functional Manager - (COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE) Do better than or different from competition.
Business Manager - (PROFIT) Make sure that business is profitable now and in the future.
Group Manager - (PORTFOLIO) Be in the right business and out of the wrong business.
Enterprise Manager - (PERPETUATION) Ensure long-term viability and success of the enterprise.

"Spending more time solving problems VS finding new opportunities is a red flag signalling group managers are going after the wrong results."

"If there is one dollar to spend on developing managers then spend it on developing managers for immediate short term improvements, for long term and fundamental improvements spend it on managers of managers."

"Managers of Managers need to be thinking and planning 2 years ahead to become promotable to the next level (Functional Manager)."

[cypher · Rating 4 out of 5]

(audiobook version) i found one point particularly interesting so far: high level leadership unable to produce viable short-term and/or long-term strategies for growth and success (as in, high level leaders are unable to operate at their level, so they are operating at lower levels) is a huge red flag.
i think there is a very interesting dynamic happening in some large corporations: there are low level leaders that wish to do less, so they over-delegate (operate at higher levels), mid-range leaders that do well at their positions, and high level leaders without necessary skills producing enough results to show work being done on their part, but for lower levels. in the end, it looks like the company barely progresses (but there is still progress because of all the mid-level leadership), because low-level work is not being done as required (work that is vital and moves a lot of the actual wheels) and there are few desired strategies to follow and correct path.
fascinating!

some quotes that stood out:

“during boom-years, there is room for error and inefficiency” - as in: lack of performance can get covered up, but someone will still pay, just later.

“we become caught in activity traps and thus fail to think and learn” - i think this a very good general quote, applicable to non-leaders too, not just leaders, in particular.

“we do the same old things, but perhaps a little cheaper, or a little faster” - this is a tragic, but true state in which some companies end up, this can put extra pressure on employees, on top of a culture that can seem to shift for the worse. i have to admit, i have witnessed this firsthand, more than once, and it was quite sad.

“do you know what every leader in your organisation is trying to achieve today? do you have a convenient way to find out?” - good point. i did not. like this, it was very hard to hold some of leadership accountable. were they ever actually held accountable, at their level? good question. like this, i think leadership can very easily escape bad situations for themselves and push responsibility for a problem in crucial moments downwards on the ladder. it can always be someone else’s fault, somewhere down the line.

“KPIs” - let me share my experience with these: “let’s define them general enough so we can get away with doing whatever and still say we did ok-ish even if it’s a fail”, this obviously brings the right type of progress long-term (sarcasm) :)

“organization is the blackhole of business” - true, but also add transparency and honesty as things that, if not done right, can bring a business down, especially in the modern cultural context.

“the true strategists make the decisions and live with the consequences” - amazing, if done in an ethical way.

“CEOs sell the logic and establish the need for their direction” - this “selling” part rings all too true, in addition, a good CEO should have and keep logic on their side, there is such a thing as too much risk, or a skewed perspective.

“management is getting a bad rep these days (…), but it’s not management that’s the problem, it’s poor management” - yes, no to complete anarchy, that’s not a good solution.

“specific assignments to individuals that add up to all the results is the challenge” - which can seem trivial, but only if each layer is doing their part correctly.

[Stuart Leal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel this book is like a course to learn how leadership systems are known to work in the actual enterprise.

Guidelines of expectations for each level, responsibilities, etc.

I really enjoyed it and helped me a lot to understand what is the direction forward to improve as a IC and team member.

[Doug Barense · Rating 4 out of 5]

A longer book with great insight for many organizations of varying sizes. I think it is best applied to large corporations and those not in service industries. Many good insights to gain no matter what industry. I learned a lot from the part of what a CEO should and should not do.

[Chad Horenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely practical book. Using this as a framework for our team for setting standards.

[Subramaniam Pg · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I would have read this book 15 years before, i would have rate 5star. It is excellent for people who are new to performance management. I did not enjoy as it was too basic for me.

[Caroline]

I'm sure there is a lot of useful info there, but it is a little bit too textbook-like for me right now.

[Joseph McBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my work as a learning and development professional. It is a solid talent management book, well-written and backed by years of research and application. On a personal level, it helped me clarify some of my personal career goals and changed my mind about what advancing in my career would look like. Bottom Line: Advancing into management and other leadership roles is not necessarily for everyone and that's okay.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept but didn't need 200+ pages to explain his relatively simple thesis