Articles and News
How To Find Performance Measurements That Really Work January 21, 2015 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—It’s January. The holidays are over and it’s time to get focused on the year ahead. Part of that yearly cycle in business is the dreaded Annual Review. Because no matter how nicely it’s packaged, no matter how much praise is used to sandwich the criticism, nobody is perfect and nobody likes to be told they’re not perfect. And they like moving out of their comfort zone to improve even less.
Pretty much any human resources expert will emphasize the importance of having specific, attainable, and measurable goals for improvement. But in his most recent blog, business author Aubrey Daniels discusses both the value—and lack thereof—of performance metrics. Metrics have value if used correctly, but more often than not, measurement is not used correctly to achieve the desired result.
Contrary to the old adage “what gets measured gets done,” what gets measured is not necessarily going to get done any sooner or better than if it hadn’t been measured. Daniels believes a more accurate adage is “what gets measured improves the chances of getting done.”
After all, he observes, between Fitbits and the various mobile apps that tie into your bathroom scale, we should all be slim and athletic—but having a Fitbit measure your steps doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to take the recommended 10,000 steps a day or that you’re going to lose the weight you’ve resolved to lose. That comes from a deeper, more intrinsic motivation that has nothing to do with measurement.
The measuring device only tracks progress, it doesn’t inspire motivation. Indeed, the scale and Fitbit might just serve to confirm that you’re a couch potato who firmly believes chocolate should be its own food group. And if the measuring device is only used as a tool to nag the performer, it’s definitely not going to inspire positive motivation. (Such apps, says Daniels, survive only because they’re able to score enough new customers each month who experience some short success before they too eventually abandon the device.)
Measurement only becomes a useful tool when it’s associated with meaningful consequences to the performer. Daniels advocates the carrot over the stick—positive consequences for improvement. Find rewards that are meaningful to the performer, and with continued positive reinforcement the behaviors you want to see will become ingrained, sustained habits.
If they don’t, first check to ensure that the system of measurement isn’t what's really flawed, before assuming the employee is lacking motivation.