Data, metric,
measures, assessments, evaluations, scorecards, progress reports… Many of us
have been faced with a whole host of measurement opportunities. Seems like some
of the performance measurements are moving targets that we seldom hit. Some
measurement processes come and go like fog. I shared the quote from Peter Drucker
last week: “What gets measured gets managed.” Are we measuring what really
matters?

We should be
very careful about what gets measured. Albert Einstein reportedly had a sign on
his office wall that stated: “Not everything that counts can be counted, and
not everything that can be counted counts.”

“Without a
standard, there is no logical basis for making a decision or taking action,”
according to Joseph Juran. As we consider what to measure, we must have a
standard or a goal to attain. We must measure current performance as compared
to that standard and take intelligent, consistent actions (standardized work)
to eliminate problems. But what we measure must be important to both the
business and those who directly and indirectly impact what is being measured.
Keep in mind when something is measured but it isn’t important, it probably
won’t get done.

Measure the
wrong things and you will likely get the wrong behaviors. Improving
performance, in most cases, means changing the behaviors of those who operate
and maintain, those who budget and control, those who design and install our
equipment and facilities. When we look at changing behaviors, we must always
consider the people who must do things differently. Do they have the skills and
ability to change? Do the rewards and recognition processes encourage and
reinforce the desired behavior changes?

Robert
Crawford’s quote “What gets measured, gets done. And what gets recognized gets
done again, and even better.” speaks to sustainable gains in performance
improvement through behavior change. We should remember that “measuring things”
is not about the numbers but rather about guiding and monitoring improvement
toward a measurable, observable goal. It is about understanding the cause and
effects of problematic performance as well as successes and then leading human
performance improvement in our organizations. It’s a known fact: Our equipment
and facilities will deteriorate without proper, timely and intelligent, human
intervention.