Listen to Dr Robin Mann, Head of the Centre of Organisational Excellence Research at Massey University, discussing one of the most powerful, yet greatly underused organisational improvement methods – best practice benchmarking. This was an interview by Michael Voss (CEO of Pyxis and MichaelVossNZ.com).

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Topics covered were:

• Tell us about what benchmarking is and why a business leader should pay attention to it?
• Our listeners will know about benchmarks – and I am sure that many are comparing their performance measures with others in their industry, but will probably not have heard about best practice benchmarking. Can you briefly explain how these two are different?
• I have noticed the term ‘best practice’ seems to have lost favour with many lately – everything today seems to be put forward as best practice. Do you think the term has lost its meaning?
• There are many benchmarking processes on offer, what made you decide to develop the TRADE methodology?
• I know that you have taken TRADE further than just Singapore where we used it to pilot the Jumpstart Benchmarking programme for the Civil Service College back in 2006. What impact has it made in Singapore and elsewhere?
• What are the key things that a leader needs to know to run a successful benchmarking project in their organisation?
• Tell us what made you set up the BPIR.com?
• You have also set up the International Best Practice Competition. How does this work? And what types of organisations is it for?
• There does not seem to be much appetite recently here in NZ for excellence or benchmarking other than in the local and central government sectors. Why do you think this is?

For more information about TRADE and Best Practice Benchmarking go to COER.