Definitions
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper names.
— Confucius
These are TRM-specific definitions of familiar concepts.
Accountability
Accountability is a person’s willingness to own the outcome of their actions.
Alignment
Alignment is the pursuit of a responsibility in a way that’s consistent with a higher mission or strategy.
Cascade Effect
The Cascade Effect is the natural outgrowth of mission threads, where each supporting responsibility becomes increasingly specific and relevant to the individual who owns it.
Commitment
Commitment is the willingness to put forth the effort to deliver an outcome, regardless of the challenges that may arise.
Constraints
Constraints are limitations that shape available tactics and strategies.
Continuity of Ownership
Continuity of Ownership is the structural requirement that a responsibility, once accepted, cannot be unilaterally abdicated, reassigned, or ignored.
Delegation
Delegation is the act of enlisting someone to help deliver an outcome.
Engagement
Engagement is a person’s intrinsic attachment to a larger mission.
Governance
Governance is the structure that ensures people are doing the right things, in the right way, in pursuit of the mission.
Key Results
Key Results are objective, measurable waypoints that determine whether a Strategy is delivering the intended Objective.
Mission Chain
A Mission Chain is the hierarchy of the activities that support a particular strategy. It consists of all supporting responsibilities that are linked by Mission Threads. Mission Chains are typically considered to be a pyramid of cascading responsibilities.
Mission Thread
A Mission Thread is the specific 1:1 link between a responsibility and the higher-level strategy that it supports.
Objective
The Objective describes the mission-focused goal that’s the core of a responsibility. Every responsibility has an Objective.
Performance Culture
Performance Culture consists of a pattern of actions that individuals apply when there is no otherwise-clear guidance.
Performance Structures
Performance Structures are the formal governance practices that the organization uses to pursue its mission.
Responsibility
A responsibility is a person’s willing intention to deliver a meaningful outcome. A person will often have multiple responsibilities.
Responsibility Agreement
A Responsibility Agreement is the formal documentation of mutual expectations for a delegated responsibility.
Strategy
The Strategy is the process that a responsibility owner intends to use as the means to deliver an Objective.
Tactics
Tactics are the choices and options available for use during the execution of the Strategy.
Transparency
Transparency is the broad sharing of information to create greater Trust and Engagement.
Trust
Trust is the belief that the system will work as advertised. In a performance context, it is created when goals seem achievable, strategies seem appropriate, and everyone demonstrates a focus on achieving the mission over self-interest.
Unity of Ownership
Unity of Ownership is the structural requirement that each responsibility must be owned by exactly one person.
