Motivating with Metrics
In absence of clearly defined goals we busy ourselves with impulses and events, not solutions. After clarifying the extreme goals, how do you know that you are now playing for real? It’s the difference between playing a game of basketball and just “shooting around;” people are not serious until you start keeping score. Measurements motivate and drive behaviour.
What gets measured gets managed, and what can’t be measured can’t be managed. How do you measure “well” or “good” in a project?
Develop a clear scoreboard: What type of measurements do you want to put in place?
1. Ones that accurately tracks progress.
2. Engage able and Doable: Ones that can be influenced by yourself.
3. Ones that drive the right behaviour.
4. Ones that focus on results rather than just activities. (sales calls vs. actual sales)
5. Ones that are leading rather than lagging. With leading, you can make real time adjustment and corrections; with lagging, you have already lost, and you are assessing what you can do differently next time.
6. Value of the measure has to be more than the cost of the measure.
7. Accessible; visual, bold, colorful and concise.