CMI flashcards
CMI · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- SMART objective
- A goal written to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, so that completion can be verified objectively rather than judged subjectively.
- Tuckman stages
- A model of team development moving through Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing, with Adjourning added for teams that disband after completing their purpose.
- Situational leadership
- A model in which leaders vary directive and supportive behaviour according to follower competence and commitment, using Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating styles.
- Span of control
- The number of direct reports assigned to one manager. Wider spans reduce management layers and cost but increase coordination and supervision load.
- Five whys
- A root cause technique that repeatedly asks why a problem occurred until a systemic cause is reached, separating the symptom from its underlying driver.
- KPI ownership
- Assigning each key performance indicator to a named individual who is accountable for its result, ensuring the measure drives action rather than passive reporting.
- Break-even volume
- The quantity of units that must be sold to cover total costs, calculated as fixed costs divided by the difference between unit price and unit variable cost.
- Critical path
- The longest chain of dependent tasks in a project schedule; it determines the minimum possible project duration and any delay on it delays completion.
- Stakeholder power-interest grid
- A mapping tool that positions stakeholders by their power to influence and interest in an outcome, guiding how closely each should be managed and engaged.
- Little's Law
- A queuing relationship stating that average work in progress equals throughput multiplied by average flow time, used to predict queues and delays in operations.
- Seven wastes
- Lean categories of non-value-adding activity: transport, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing and defects, targeted for elimination.
- RACI matrix
- A responsibility chart assigning each activity one Accountable person plus Responsible, Consulted and Informed parties, preventing ambiguity over who decides.
- Hierarchy of control
- A ranked order of risk controls from most to least effective: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.
- Accuracy versus precision
- Accuracy is closeness of a measurement to the true value; precision is the repeatability of measurements. A result can be precise yet systematically inaccurate.
- Tolerance
- The permitted range of deviation from a specified nominal value, defining the limits within which a component or output is still acceptable.
- Supervised learning
- A machine learning approach that trains a model on labelled examples, learning a mapping from inputs to known outputs before predicting on new data.
- Data drift
- The degradation of model performance when live data diverges from the data used in training, requiring ongoing monitoring rather than one-off validation.
- Human-in-the-loop
- A governance arrangement in which a person reviews and can override an AI output before a decision takes effect, preserving accountability for consequential outcomes.
- Scope 1 emissions
- Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organisation, such as fuel burned in its own vehicles or facilities.
- Double materiality
- An assessment approach that considers both how sustainability issues affect the business financially and how the business affects society and the environment.
- Net zero
- A state in which residual greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by removals, achieved only after deep absolute reductions rather than offsetting alone.
- Ansoff matrix
- A growth framework of market penetration, product development, market development and diversification, ordered by increasing risk and unfamiliarity.
- NPV
- Net present value: the sum of future cash flows discounted at the cost of capital, minus initial investment. A positive result indicates value creation.
- Strategic drift
- A gradual divergence between an organisation's realised strategy and a changing environment, often invisible until performance has already deteriorated.
- Risk appetite
- The amount and type of risk a board is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives, which sets the boundary within which management operates.
- Scenario planning
- A strategic method that develops several plausible future environments and tests strategy against each, reducing dependence on a single forecast.
- MECE principle
- A structuring rule for issue trees requiring elements to be mutually exclusive with no overlap and collectively exhaustive with no gaps.
- Statement of work
- A contractual document fixing deliverables, acceptance criteria, timeline and fee basis for an engagement, protecting both parties against scope creep.
- Mission command
- A command philosophy delegating freedom of action to subordinates within a clearly expressed commander's intent, enabling initiative when communication is degraded.
- OODA loop
- A decision cycle of Observe, Orient, Decide and Act; cycling faster than an adversary creates advantage through quicker adaptation to changing conditions.
- National Decision Model
- A police decision framework grounded in the Code of Ethics: gather information, assess threat and risk, consider powers, identify options, act and review.
- PLAN principle
- A test for police action requiring it to be Proportionate, Legal, Accountable and Necessary before powers are used or force applied.