Are Your Measurements Killing Performance?
We all need to assess how well our system is working. It’s a requirement in section 9 of all the new Standards and it’s just a good thing to do for a business.
One thing that is often overlooked when putting measurements into place is the effect they have on behaviour. And if you doubt that measurements don’t affect behaviour, just put a FitBit on someone’s wrist and watch what happens!
Some companies use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and set rewards based on results. Two things happen: 1. People will record the data to make sure that they hit the number and get the ‘prize’. 2. Everyone will make sure that they look good, no matter what the effect is on overall performance. Don’t get me wrong – KPIs can be a good indicator of something drifting off course. If they are used for that and the result is a tweaking of the system for better results, that’s helpful. Otherwise, measurements can hurt performance and create a negative result instead of a positive one.
Plan your measurements well, anticipate behaviour change and use the ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ approach – if it backfires, fix it!
Know Quality, Know Profits…No Quality, No Profits
If you’d like to see if our platform could help you improve how you manage measurements, schedule a demo and we’ll see if it’s a good fit for you: