Peak performance is the holy grail for any company. How can your company be more efficient, more productive, more effective, and more profitable? The best approach is following this four-step process for reaching peak performance. And the final step is the most important — you ultimately need the perfect management software from among your many options for performance management systems.

Here’s a look at the four steps that can drive your organization toward peak performance.

It’s best to look both inside and outside your organization when analyzing the current situation. There are several approaches you can use to gather relevant information and complete a thorough analysis.

First, many companies conduct a SWOT analysis related to their organizations. A SWOT analysis, as the acronym suggests, includes a look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A proper SWOT analysis includes both information about your organization, as well as information on competitors and others operating in the industry.

You can also create a financial analysis that accounts for your company’s regular cash flow plus its income statement and balance sheet. 

And, finally, conduct a trend analysis that looks beyond just a snapshot of your most important metrics. A quality trend analysis will help you determine where your organization is headed if it makes no changes.

2. Set Achievable Goals

Anyone can set goals by picking numbers out of thin air. But it’s best to use the baselines and trends in your analysis of the existing situation to set goals that are both realistic and achievable.

There are plenty of goal-setting frameworks you can choose to use. Many companies opt for SMART goals, which emphasize goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound.

In this four-step process, one step flows naturally into the next. For example, a proper analysis of the existing situation allows for proper goal-setting. And proper goal-setting will allow your organization to prioritize its most important needs and create a solid improvement plan.

Once you’ve identified the levers that need to be pulled to reach peak performance, address the following as part of your improvement plan:

• Actions and tasks: What actions and tasks need to be completed for your improvement plan to work? You may have a handful of actions and tasks, or you may have a dozen. The important thing is that you outline the universe of actions and tasks that need to be completed for the company to reach peak performance.
• Deadlines for completion: Assign a deadline for completion to each action or task. For more complicated actions and tasks, you may choose to include several smaller deadlines leading up to the ultimate deadline.
• Specific responsibilities: Who is in charge of tracking actions and tasks, plus their related deadlines? Someone should be the ultimate stakeholder for each one.
• Resources required for success: Few actions and tasks can successfully reach completion without more resources. So list out what’s required for each: more budget, more manpower, more time, etc.
• Goal-driven outcome: What do you hope to achieve across the different actions and tasks that comprise your improvement plan? Those goal-driven outcomes should be listed in the final section of your plan.

4. Get the Right Software for Tracking Results

Finally, you need to choose the right option from among the many performance management systems on the market.

Without quality management software, you won’t be able to properly track the progress of your plan and ensure it remains on track for reaching peak performance.

Good performance management systems come with data management capabilities and data visualization tool options. These data management capabilities allow leaders to process huge amounts of data at a glance, and to look at detailed aspects of the business to see whether they are behind, on track, or ahead for reaching various goals.

Reach Peak Performance With Results Software

Results Software by Mass Ingenuity is the management software that empowers your company to reach peak performance. With Results Software, you enjoy a view into what’s working in your peak performance plan and what’s not. The data you need to make decisions and reach success is always ready and available — daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.

Companies that choose Results Software are able to drive toward their peak performance goals. Common results from choosing our management software include increases in sales by 25% or more, decreases in costs by 35% or more, and increases in net profit by 70% or more. Are you ready to reach peak performance?

Scott Harra

Executive Vice President Of Marketing And Government Relations