Introduction to Performance Management

Effective performance management is the bridge between strategy, operations, and measurable results. Organizations that master this connection achieve sustainable success.

Introduction to Performance Management explores how to align goals, build meaningful performance systems, and foster long-term value creation. You will learn to apply key financial and non-financial metrics—such as KPI, ROE, ROIC, and EVA—to measure performance and drive strategic outcomes. The program combines theory with practical tools to help you design systems that support accountability and continuous improvement.

This course helps you connect strategy with measurable performance, understand and apply key performance metrics, create alignment through goals and KPIs, and build a solid foundation for systematic performance management.

Start

Any time: License for 90 days starting from the order date

Registration information

Eveliina Laitinen, Project Manager

010 837 3806

eveliina.laitinen@aaltoee.fi

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Explain performance management as a system that links goals, measures, targets, review routines, decisions, and learning.
Design a coherent performance management cycle and specify the roles, rhythms, and decision rights needed to make it work in practice.
Select and define high-quality KPIs that are decision-relevant, operationally meaningful, and fit-for-purpose - including clear definitions, data sources, ownership, and review frequency.
Build balanced KPI sets that avoid common traps, and incorporate leading/lagging indicators, trade-offs, and guardrail measures.
Translate strategy into measurable hypotheses using tools such as strategy maps and cause–effect logic, and use performance data to test, learn, and adapt as strategy evolves.
Integrate financial performance management by linking operational drivers to financial outcomes, and interpret key financial measures used in steering.
Diagnose and improve existing performance management systems by identifying misalignments, behavioral side effects, and redesign options that strengthen execution and learning.
Communicate performance insights through clear narratives and visuals that support action - tailoring messages to different stakeholders while maintaining transparency and accountability.

Benefits

Empower your team to achieve strategic goals and improve results. This program helps you measure and drive value creation.

Connect strategy with measurable performance
Understand and apply key performance metrics
Create alignment through goals and KPIs
Build a solid foundation for systematic performance management

For

The Introduction to Performance Management course is designed for professionals who play a role in managing, monitoring, and developing performance in their teams or areas of responsibility.

The course is particularly suitable for:

Experts responsible for defining, tracking, and using key performance indicators (KPIs) in their area of expertise, projects, or product management
Team leaders, function heads, and middle managers who want to ensure that performance goals, KPIs, and evaluation practices support both team success and the organization’s strategic objectives

Content and Schedule

The program covers key principles of performance management, including goal setting, measurement, and feedback systems.

The course consists of four modules, each divided into multiple sections with video lectures, texts, case examples and quizzes. This combination of theory, reflection, and hands-on practice ensures that learning is both engaging and practical.

The language of the course is English. You can complete the course flexibly at your own pace.

The four modules cover:

Module 1: Performance Management: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Works as a Cycle
Module 2: KPI Design That Works
Module 3: Strategy Implementation (Measuring and Managing Strategy)
Module 4: Financial Performance Management

Instructor

David Derichs

David Derichs, PhD, is Senior University Lecturer in the Department of Accounting at Aalto University, where he also serves as Head of the BSc Program in Accounting. His research focuses on performance measurement and management, the digitalization of management control, and learning in organizations.

In addition to his academic role, Derichs has professional experience in commercial due diligence execution and corporate restructuring, combining research expertise with practical insights into organizational performance and investment evaluation.

Program Fee and Registration

The fee for the Introduction to the Introduction to Performance Management online course is € 150 (+ VAT).

This program has adopted Aalto EE's new Customer ID, and it is delivered on Aalto Learning Experience Alex e-learning environment. Before ordering, please visit aaltoee.fi/customerid.