In 2007 Harvard Business School professor Ethan S. Bernstein studied assembly-line performance at a company he called “Precision.”
There Are Two Types of Performance — but Most Organizations Only Focus on One
Research shows that most leaders and organizations tend to focus on just one type of performance. But there are two types of performance that are important for success: The first type is known as tactical performance, which is how effectively your organization sticks to its strategy. It is the driver of focus and consistency. The second type, known as adaptive performance, is how effectively your organization diverges from its strategy. Adaptive performance manifests as creativity, problem solving, grit, innovation, and citizenship. Teams and organizations need both, but most companies only measure and cultivate tactical performance, which hurts employees’ ability to adapt. To build more adaptive performance in your organization, identify where you need tactical and adaptive performance, implement metrics without myopia, and set learning goals.