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Strategic Planning That Works: How WorkSafeNB Builds KPIs That Inspire Action

<span>Strategic Planning That Works: How WorkSafeNB Builds KPIs That Inspire Action</span>

Developing a strategic plan that is meaningful, achievable, motivational, and aligns everyone towards a common vision can be challenging. Meet WorkSafeNB, whose strategic plan is not a document that sits on a shelf, but one where every employee has a copy front and center on their desk, as each person works, directly, or indirectly, towards Making New Brunswick the Safest Place to Work.

I had a chance to host WorkSafeNB’s Donna Miller-Wallace last month on an APQC webinar. During the webinar she discussed how her organization creates strategic plans that resonate with stakeholders, form meaningful KPIs, and establish accountability. The webinar recording and slides can be found in APQC’s Resource Library; however, I wanted to highlight the great discussion that took place during the Q&A session in this blog. 

Building Accountability into KPI Ownership

Q: How do you handle process owners who resist accountability for KPIs?

Donna Miller-Wallace: “Oh yes, we run into that situation. Being a KPI owner can feel uncertain — people wonder, ‘what happens if we don’t perform?’. That’s where coaching and our values of accountability, collaboration, and trust come in.

Just yesterday, I had a conversation with an owner who said, ‘I’ll go out and solve this problem on my own.’ And I reminded him — you don’t have to do it alone. There are others in the organization who can help. You’re not in it by yourself.

When we create action plans, it’s not all on one person. For example, if Madison were the owner of a KPI, the plan would include her actions, my actions, Kelli’s actions, and so on. The owner’s role is to present and guide the process, but many people contribute.

And this is important: we’re measuring business processes, not people. A red KPI doesn’t mean you’re a bad person; it means something in the process needs attention. So, my team and I spend a lot of time coaching around that mindset and reinforcing that accountability is shared.”

Learn more about process governance, and setting KPIs:

Moving Performance Management to Intelligence

Question: What capabilities are most critical to make this shift?

Donna Miller-Wallace: “A big part of it is cultural change — building accountability, collaboration, and trust. But you also need strong data and data governance.

Too often, people think they’re measuring the same thing, but they’re not. One team might be tracking red apples, another green apples, and they’re trying to solve different problems. Clear definitions and governance ensure everyone is working with the same, trusted data. That trust is what allows you to move from simple performance management into true performance intelligence.”

Learn more about shifting organizational culture: 

Right-Sizing the Scorecard

Question: How do you balance too many vs. too few KPIs?

Donna Miller-Wallace: “I’ve used the Balanced Scorecard in both large and small organizations, and I think about it in two tiers: strategic and operational.

At the strategic level, you keep it small — maybe 8 to 10 KPIs with a few drivers you can look at quarterly or monthly. That keeps leadership focused on what really matters.

At the operational level, you can apply the same Balanced Scorecard philosophy, but with metrics that reflect day-to-day activities. That way, employees are empowered to influence performance in ways that roll up to the bigger picture, without overwhelming leadership with dozens of measures.”

Learn more about scorecards:

Leading v Lagging Indicators

Question: How do you drive leading indicators, not just lagging ones?

Donna Miller-Wallace: “That’s an excellent question — and it’s difficult. Most KPIs are lagging indicators, showing the outcome of past actions. What we’ve done is build a balance of lead and lag.

We’ve also mapped the relationships between our KPIs, showing how one influences another. Some indicators are long-term outcomes, while others can be influenced day-to-day.

It takes time and patience to get that balance right, but it’s worth it. The key is to show how lead indicators connect to lagging outcomes, so people see how their daily work contributes.”

Learn more about leading vs lagging indicators:

AI’s Role in KPI Measurement

Question: Has your organization started using AI in KPI measurement or performance management?

Donna Miller-Wallace: “We’ve been cautiously optimistic about AI. Because we handle sensitive information, we wanted to be careful. Just in the last couple of months, we put an AI policy in place to guide responsible use.

So far, we haven’t integrated AI much into our KPI process, but we see potential. The key for us is ensuring data security and trust — making sure any AI use enhances, not compromises, the integrity of our performance data.”

Learn more about how AI can improve process performance: 

In Conclusion

I want to thank Donna for her time presenting on the webinar and for her insightful discussion during the Q&A portion of the webinar. Learn more about her organization’s full story in their recent case study: Setting KPIs that Resonate: WorkSafeNB Case Study.