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Albert Humphreys TAM business change model

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Albert Humphrey (1926-2005) was a leading expert in the field of corporate strategic planning and strategy realisation. TAM® is a step by step formatted precise method which facilitates and enables any group - for example, a team, council, committee, or board of directors, working together - to produce and achieve a plan to accomplish a specific result, in a specific time, to a specific budget.

What is the TAM® Model?

TAM® is a step by step formatted precise method which facilitates and enables any group - for example, a team, council, committee, or board of directors, working together - to produce and achieve a plan to accomplish a specific result, in a specific time, to a specific budget.

  • According to Albert Humphrey's experience and case studies, using the TAM® method virtually guarantees results.

The TAM® model and process came from the research and development work done at Stanford Research Institute by Albert Humphrey which later produced the 'Stakeholders Concept' and 'SWOT Analysis'. 

TAM® is designed to obtain the necessary agreement and commitment from the appropriate people required to guarantee results. Humphrey's experience in using this process indicates that if the rules are followed, success is ensured.

  • It is a unique multiple programme management system which solves the human problems of project management work. It overcomes traditional personality problems experienced when introducing changes. It can be used with any project management software programme or by itself to produce immediate and measurable results. 
  • A performance improvement between 25% to 50% can be expected because of its 'fair play' quality.

It's fast (within a week) and proactive, so if you are in a situation that seems to be going nowhere fast, despite endless meetings, reports, and reviews then the TAM® process could be the answer to your challenges.


How does the TAM® Model Work?

This is a simple step-by-step summary of the process. Like all the best ideas it's actually quite simple.

  • Phase 1 - Preparation

    1. The senior leader sets the objectives, the timing, and specifies results. (1 hour)
    2. The agenda, venue and objectives for the working party are published. (1.5 hours)
    3. The team and support staff are trained in the process and briefed on their duties and obligations. (3 to 12 hours). This may require training in financial planning.
    4. Business accounting data required by the team is produced and given to each team member Planning issues from all employees are collected. (8 hours)
  • Phase 2 - Planning session

    1. The Working Session is directed by the leader and policed by the assistant. This session produces the actual plans, which are used to control the project and to achieve results. (38 hours)
    2. Authorisation to implement the plan is obtained from a higher authority. (2 hours)
  • Phase 3 - Implementation

    1. Implementation review meetings are directed by the leader and policed by the assistant. Results are reported and the document is updated. (5 hours per month)
    2. The team is coached until the final results and objectives are achieved. (elapsed time from two weeks to 18 months)

6 Factors for Businesses to be Successful

TAM® identifies some very sensible underpinning factors, that for a business to be successful, there are six inter-related areas which have to be developed simultaneously.

  1. Products & Services - What are they, how do they work and when and how should they be improved.
  2. Process - How the products and services are to be made and/or assembled, including subcontracting and purchasing, labour and machinery.
  3. Customer - Who will buy the products and services and how will customers be persuaded to buy them.
  4. Distribution - How the product and services are warehoused, transported, delivered.
  5. Finance - Where will the money come from and how will the cash flow be controlled.
  6. Administration - How the organisation will be managed, the management style, the organisation structure and the people skills required.

'Performance Management' Enhancement

This is achieved by a comprehensive, holistic examination of detailed activities from level one of the operations, up to the top level, combined with instant teamwork for implementation. It is not normally possible for a manager or executive to 'pre-fabricate' teamwork in order to complete a specific job.

  • Humphrey maintains that using TAM® it is possible to literally bring a group of people required to improve performance, to a conference room, people who may or may not know or even like each other. And then apply TAM® and like magic - the people turn into a team, plan the work they will do, and then (believe it or not) will actually do it.

Performance improvement depends on finding out what needs to be done at the lowest levels of the operations, to the top. 

  • To get this translated into action, the leader must call on people to do the work. This is called the team. Because performance is paramount the team leader needs a process like TAM® in order to guarantee success.

As mentioned above, performance improvement first starts with a comprehensive examination of the entire operations from the bottom to the top. This is then followed by a 'how shall we go forward' planning workshop. Because instant teamwork is made possible using TAM®, it can give the team the power to produce a performance improvement plan between 24 to 38 working hours (i.e., between 3 to 5 days).

  • The plan produced is more reliable because it is based on a comprehensive, holistic, assessment and then having produced it themselves, the team is more focused and dedicated to getting the results, which virtually guarantees performance improvement.