Self Assessment Program – Introduction
An integral part of the learning organization’s evaluation and control program, the self assessment program provides in-depth evaluations of particular organizational functions or characteristics for the purpose of identifying improvement opportunities. Self assessments are powerful tools deriving their heightened value from the synthesis of information from multiple sources; creating a rich, integrated picture of organizational performance as compared to established standards and marketplace benchmarks. This integrated picture of performance also benefits from the progressive infusion of knowledge and experience applied to the initial interpretation of data used to develop the assessment’s source information.
Self assessment programs are comprised of periodically scheduled and event driven assessments. Because self assessments are not performed on a continual basis, they are inappropriate for the monitoring of rapidly changing conditions. Circumstances for which periodic and event driven self assessments are performed can be described as:
- Periodic: often recurring on an annual basis, these evaluations focus on those critical organizational functions and characteristics which present significant risk, must be performed with precision, or require continuous improvement to maintain marketplace competitiveness
- Event Driven: initiated based on environmental or performance trends, these self assessments are used to enhance limiting or deficient practices to drive performance improvement
As illustrated by the Information Development Model, self assessments belong to the third tier of performance data refinement. Performance reports at this level benefit from human intelligence added to supporting data during: initial data synthesis, basic trend identification and analysis, multi-trend synthesis, and basic model application. It is the infusion of human knowledge and experience at these points that makes self assessments broadly integrated and highly insightful.
Focus of the Self Assessment Program Topic
An organization’s self assessment program plays a key role in identifying the performance improvement opportunities that will propel an organization to the next level of performance. Articles in this topic area are dedicated to discussing the leading practices of companies successfully executing a self assessment program in support of strategic business planning and tactical business execution. The following articles, podcasts, documents, and resources cover those topics critical to a strong self assessment program.
Articles
Principles
- The Vertical Slice Assessment Approach [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- The Horizontal Cut Approach [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Criticisms Appear Harsher When Put Into Print [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
Best Practices
- Best Practice – Executive Sponsorship [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Multidiscipline Teams [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Avoid Using Absolutes [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Random, Unannounced Inspections [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Seek Local Participation for Context [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Three Whys Deep [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Best Practice – Be Prepared from the Start [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
Warning Flags
- Warning Flag – Inwardly Focused Performance Assessments [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Warning Flag – Crediting Good Intentions [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
- Warning Flag – Conclusion Bias [StrategyDriven Premium Content]
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