Where performance is measured, performance improves.
Whatever gets measures, must be managed.
The simplistic and obvious reason that a score is kept is so everyone will know who is winning and progressing. The "score" in your field may be measured in many ways, but to make any meaningful positive change the "score" must be measured
and managed. You may decide to keep "score" by using dollars or number of new clients, number of proposals presented, reduction in complaints or whatever is meaningful and is something you can control. Once you decide how you are going to keep "score", make sure to include everyone you can, as they are directly or indirectly involved. The more people in the organization that have access to the scoreboard the more that those people will feel a part of the process and progress. Therefore, since you need to measure your progress, it will be beneficial to you and your fellow employees if you display the progress so everyone can watch the performance. One of the best means to engaging others is to post the results so everyone can see them. The next time you go into a fast-food restaurant look closely at the walls in the back. You will often see a chart used for tracking some meaningful "score" that is designed to improve some aspect of the operation. You must make certain that you are updating the information on a consistent and verifiable manner, because dated data is damaging. Keep score, it works!
and managed. You may decide to keep "score" by using dollars or number of new clients, number of proposals presented, reduction in complaints or whatever is meaningful and is something you can control. Once you decide how you are going to keep "score", make sure to include everyone you can, as they are directly or indirectly involved. The more people in the organization that have access to the scoreboard the more that those people will feel a part of the process and progress. Therefore, since you need to measure your progress, it will be beneficial to you and your fellow employees if you display the progress so everyone can watch the performance. One of the best means to engaging others is to post the results so everyone can see them. The next time you go into a fast-food restaurant look closely at the walls in the back. You will often see a chart used for tracking some meaningful "score" that is designed to improve some aspect of the operation. You must make certain that you are updating the information on a consistent and verifiable manner, because dated data is damaging. Keep score, it works!
It appears that keeping score is kin to awarding the toddlers when they do something we've been trying to get them to learn, i.e., potty training or behaviour.
ReplyDeleteIn real estate, the associates all have numbers to keep track of how well one is achieving their individual goals. It can be competitive in any career to achieve the specified score.
A bit of honesty? Once we retire, the only score we are looking for is how much money it takes to make it from day to day.
And, I do agree. Keeping score does work!