#39 Getting People Involved in Measuring Performance

Getting people involved in measuring and improving performance is one of the greatest challenges (and greatest enablers) in designing measures that lead to improvement. But just inviting them to a workshop, or telling them to come up with measures, rarely works. Here are my favourite ways to authentically involve people, in a way that has meaning for them.

idea #1: ask them what their biggest obstacles are to doing their job well

What will get people's attention more than talking about what bugs them the most? And what better a place to start involving them in performance improvement than in helping them improve what matters to them? Even if what bugs them isn't strategically important right now, it's a valuable exercise that will lead to them thinking more easily on what 'bugs the organisation' (the biggest obstacles to the organising performing well).

idea #2: ask them to give feedback on someone else's measures

Aside from the obvious value that comes from getting feedback from others, this approach makes it safe for people to start getting familiar with performance measures, without feeling imposed. As part of my PuMP Implementer Program, we use a measure gallery as a way gathering feedback from the wider organisation on the measures a team has just freshly designed. These measure galleries have been known to generate lots of interest in other parts of the organisation to further explore performance measures for themselves.

idea #3: coach them as individual people, rather than facilitating or teaching them as a group

The group approach, where you get people in the room and walk them through designing measures, is certainly very efficient. But it can leave people behind - people that are worried about a problem on the job, people that are starting from less experience with measurement, people that feel cynical about measurement ("It's just another big stick!"). Outside of workshop time, you may well need to share a coffee or chat over the phone to support a few participants that are feeling less than committed to the process.

idea #4: ask them why they aren't as involved as you'd like

Often we just assume that people don't care, or haven't got the time, or just have a bad attitude, and that's why they won't get involved in measuring performance. (And you know what assumptions are, don't you?) Instead, just ask. Not everyone will feel confident to give you an honest answer, but some will. And the conversation you can then have to explore their objectives, answer their questions, take on their ideas, could be just the opportunity you need to get them more involved.

idea #5: role model the design and use of great measures

Your actions speak louder than your words. You can't expect anyone to get involved in something you aren't involved in yourself. So establishing a few great performance measures that will help you improve performance, and then using those measures to make performance improve, can be a great way to show others the value of doing it too.