Managing for results moves the focus from what you are doing to what you are achieving. Of course, you still have to do the right things, but managing for results involves more than just the processes you use. It is about the results you achieve through those processes. For example, it is important to have an effective way to monitor and measure learner success at exit. We do this mainly through the Learner Exit Survey; some literacy agencies use additional tools as well. However, simply making sure that we give all exiting learners the survey and that we record and tally up the results isn’t enough. We have to do more: we need to review what those surveys are telling us and then make appropriate changes in our programs to address any issues that might be raised. Once we make those changes, we need to monitor any impacts or outcomes that result and determine if the changes did indeed make a difference or if we need to take another approach.

One of the risks of managing for results is focusing exclusively on what you are trying to achieve. It is also important to identify efficient and effective processes that will help you achieve the results you are aiming for. Without good processes in place, you could spend unnecessary time and effort achieving or identifying the results you are aiming for. There is a delicate balance between how much time and effort you spend on fine tuning your processes and how much energy you devote to ensuring that you are achieving results. When finding that balance, remember that implementing and using effective and efficient processes is not about the processes themselves, it is about the results (or outcomes) that you achieve.

Managing for results can be compared to a stage production. The result that the producer wants to achieve is a play that the audience will find entertaining. If the play receives a standing ovation or a hearty round of applause, it will be deemed a success. The audience will enjoy the evening and the performances of the actors. However, the audience will not see the planning, monitoring and adjustments that went into the staging of that enjoyable piece of entertainment. To achieve that standing ovation, the theatre company had many rehearsals, planned out each cue and prop placement and made improvements as needed. Test audiences were invited and their reactions taken into consideration, and then further improvements were made. Finally, it was opening night and the result was as planned. However, the director did notice a few minor adjustments that would make the play even better for the next night!

As with the example of producing a successful play, an agency will plan and prepare to achieve a desired result and make adjustments along the way to help ensure that it is still on track towards that achievement. The target “audiences” (e.g., the community, the client) won’t see this behind-the-scenes work, but they will judge the agency on the final result. And even if the funder and others indicate that they are quite satisfied with what the agency has achieved, it is likely that someone more integrally involved with the agency will identify one or two adjustments that could make the agency even better.