Performance-driven change is setting measurable goals and having a team of colleagues work toward the objectives while keeping each other accountable.

An example of this happened at The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1989 when the former Knight Ridder Newspaper group asked all its newspapers to create pluralism plans that meet the diversity needs of the community. The Inquirer decided to work on its content, recruiting, staffing and community outreach and a senior editor was assigned to lead the project. Instead of taking a 'top down approach,' the editor enlisted all the news divisions and included a range of staff, from senior editors to news assistants to create a five-year strategic plan. The plan offered recommendations on recruiting and hiring with specific percentage goals to improve the number of minorities and women. Within three years, the minority staff in the City Room moved from 10 to 20 percent while women were promoted into key editing and reporting jobs. The editor in charge worked with all level of managers but a key to success was the involvement of the top two editors in every critical discussion.