Measuring for success
By NANCY PROFFITT, President of Proffitt Management Solutions and Proffitt Management Leadership Institute
A book written by David Herdlinger, of Herdlinger Associates called 10.5 Reasons Why Even Top Notch Executives Fail describes many of the reasons even the best of the best struggle. Among the most common factors that I find is a company’s failure to develop measurements for all employees, which align with specific goals. How can you improve without measurements?
Of course, those company goals must be associated closely to the vision set forth by the company team. Notice I said team. If your team is not involved in developing your company vision then only a scant few will join in lock step to pursue the idea you have for success and then only for a short time. The others will feel no sense of ownership or commitment in achieving a unified dream.
Most successful business people agree that measurement is a precondition to improvement. This truth applies to everyday actives whether they are personal or business. Think about a good golf game where no one keeps score. How would you know how well you did? Ever been successful with dieting without ever taking those weight or body fat counts to see where you are headed? Most business people are more adept at measuring business issues, such as quality control, profitability or people issues, for instance, attendance.
It is interesting how companies as a rule, don’t measure many of the most important behaviors they need to improve. It may be too difficult or too time consuming to look at those “soft” issues. Many intangible problems that require our attention and should be measured include:
- Improving attitudes.
- Increasing good teamwork performance.
- Enhancing communication.
- Raising morale.
Measuring these less tangible issues is as critical as gauging strong profitability and the stellar customer service of a company.
How in the world does a good leader evaluate the progress of those soft issues? With specific goals and calculated plans to achieve those goals, of course! Whether you are the president of the company, head of a division or department, you are the captain of your ship. As the captain, your responsibility with your team is to create a clear strategic course. A goals program that drives that strategic plan is critical and must be aligned from the top to the bottom of the organization.
If processes are in place to measure the progress and achievement of all goals with time specific actions steps, those goals related to softer issues will automatically be included.
To improve teamwork toward a sales goal is impossible without ensuring open communications between sales and operations, thus a sales goal will encompass the measurements of communication and teamwork.
Those measurements outlined in the goals will obviously become a part of each employee’s performance evaluation. This brings relevance to the otherwise perfunctory or meaningless exercise of employee reviews most people otherwise hate.
A success factor for improving all areas of your business is to implement a system that tracks and measures the behaviors related to every objective from start to finish.
Nancy Proffitt, MBA, Certified Business Coach is the president of Proffitt Management Solutions and Proffitt Management Leadership Institute, an internationally recognized Leadership coaching firm dedicated to unleashing the full potential of individuals and organizations. She may be reached at 561-682-6060 or email:
Nancy@proffittmanagement.com . Visit her website at www.proffittmanagement.com
