From October 17, 2014:
How creative are you in managing performance, so that you actually improve results?
At one client this week, for instance, a director showed me his company’s monthly customer satisfaction report. He also told me that the data was also used in the production team’s monthly review as well as the sales team’s report. The data in the two reports were identical, but the presentation was very different.
The sales teams numbers were a sea of green, suggesting strong progress, whereas the production team’s report was covered in red, suggesting a crisis. The director explained that their sales teams like to see they are making progress. Even when the results are ‘green’ they still strive to improve the scores, if it leads to higher rewards. On the other hand, the production team, he explained, only react to problems. If their scores are ‘green’ they see the job as being done, so he makes sure that their report is covered in ‘red’.
One set of results, two very different interpretations – although both are directly aimed at improving satisfaction results. What creative steps could you take to ensure that your management reviews lead to real performance improvement?
Off The Record: Ain’t What You Do by Oliver and Young
I thought I was smart but I soon found out
That I didn’t know what life was all about
But then I learnt I must confess
That life is like a game of chess
© Stuart Cross 2014. All rights reserved.