Performance Patterns

A Performance Pattern is a structured, reusable Cube configuration that has been shown to reliably drive progress in a specific challenge area. Each pattern draws upon SPARA’s three Dimensions — Themes, Levers, and the Measurement Chain — and combines them into a coherent scaffold.

Patterns answer the question: “What configuration of SPARA has worked before in situations like this?”

A typical Pattern includes:

• A clearly defined problem scenario

• One or more Themes that align to the core performance domain

• A recommended combination of Levers that influence the key drivers of success

• A structured Measurement Chain, including Objectives, CSFs, KPIs, and possibly XLAs, tied to the expected outcomes

These are not theoretical mappings — they are distilled insights. Patterns reflect repeatable logic that:

• Accelerates design

• Embeds performance thinking at the outset

• Strengthens alignment and coherence

• Guides selection of tools and interventions

They are adaptable, not prescriptive — designed to be shaped to context while retaining their structural integrity.

For every good design, there is an equally familiar failure mode. Anti-Patterns represent these. They are common — often well-intentioned — approaches that routinely lead to poor results. They are valuable because they:

• Illuminate where things frequently go wrong

• Serve as early warning signs during design

• Provide learning material for reviews, retrospectives, and capability building

Common Anti-Pattern Types

1. Theme-Lever Mismatch
   E.g. Trying to fix cultural disengagement with a governance-only approach.

2. Measurement Distortion
   E.g. Measuring activity levels (e.g. number of meetings) instead of actual performance (e.g. decision speed).

3. Tool Before Intent
   E.g. Buying dashboards before defining what success looks like.

4. Over-Control
   E.g. Creating so many checks and balances that agility is lost and change slows down.

Anti-Patterns will eventually be paired with Patterns in the SPARA Knowledgebase — acting as cautionary mirrors to the best practices. For now, they serve as a strategic awareness mechanism: knowing what not to do is as valuable as knowing what to do.

Let’s briefly illustrate the power of these concepts with two examples:

Pattern: Service Recovery Acceleration

• Themes: Performance Metrics Management, Risk and Assurance

• Levers: Performance Intelligence, Governance and Alignment

• Measurement Chain: Short-cycle service availability metrics, incident root cause KPIs, trust recovery XLAs

This pattern focuses all aspects of the Cube on restoring credibility, stability, and transparency.

Common Anti-Pattern:

• Theme-Lever Mismatch: A response led entirely by communication plans, rather than root cause and governance changes

Pattern: Transition-on-a-Page

• Themes: Change and Transition, Capability and Competence

• Levers: People and Empowerment, Collaboration and Culture

• Measurement Chain: Time-to-stabilisation, training effectiveness metrics, adoption rates

This pattern helps structure and accelerate large-scale service transitions.

Common Anti-Pattern:

• Tool Before Intent: Introducing new platforms without investing in capability, causing adoption failures

These examples illustrate that each Performance Pattern isn’t just a shortcut — it’s a knowledge asset. Used well, it shapes everything from business cases to implementation reviews.

• Patterns reduce risk by offering a validated starting point

• Anti-Patterns raise awareness of hidden dangers and habitual mistakes

• Both drive maturity by making performance design an intentional act

They move us away from intuition and into intelligent, evidence-led design. Over time, SPARA will grow a library of Patterns and Anti-Patterns tailored to common IT and service environments, enabling faster onboarding and more confident delivery.