{"id":62361,"date":"2022-03-10T16:52:39","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T20:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=62361"},"modified":"2022-03-20T17:08:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T21:08:21","slug":"measuring-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/measuring-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring Progress: You’re Doing It Wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s the best way to measure progress<\/a>? Why are results not a good indicator of progress? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People generally track progress<\/a> by measuring results. The problem with using results as an indicator of progress is that they don’t tell you how to improve. For example, if your goal is to save up a certain amount of money, your only measurement might be the number in your bank account: If it\u2019s lower than your goal, you don\u2019t learn anything about how to increase it. A better way of measuring progress is to track your efforts, rather than just the results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s why efforts are a better indicator of progress than results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Discipline 2: Leverage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Discipline 2 focuses on getting from your current situation to the desired situation you defined in Discipline 1. <\/strong>McChesney, Huling, and Covey call this Discipline \u201cleverage\u201d because it\u2019s about using your effort more effectively. Instead of trying to push a big, heavy goal directly, you channel your energy into related goals that you can actually influence, which in turn moves your company closer to its main goal (like using a lever to move a heavy rock instead of trying to lift it yourself). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors say one major problem with implementation is that people generally measure results. But results, or lag measures<\/em>, are fixed\u2014they can\u2019t change once they\u2019re measured, and they don\u2019t give you any information on how to proceed. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why McChesney, Huling, and Covey recommend that you <\/strong>find a way of measuring progress through efforts or lead measures<\/em>, rather than just your results. So, if you\u2019re trying to save money, you might measure how many hours you worked in a week and how much money you spent during that week (results). But if you focus on working more and spending less<\/a> (increasing your efforts), you\u2019ll naturally reach your goal of saving up money\u2014this is much more effective than simply checking your bank account and hoping that it\u2019s higher than before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors explain that whatever lead measures you use must have two essential characteristics: It must be predictive <\/em>(a change in the effort will yield a change in the results) and it must be influenceable <\/em>(your team must be able to directly impact the measurement without relying on other teams). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you choose good effort measurements for a team or a company? The authors suggest using the same four steps that you used for goal setting. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Brainstorm:<\/strong> Ask yourself what kind of changes would affect your team\u2019s goal or goals. Consider things you\u2019ve never done before, things you could improve, and things you\u2019re doing badly that might hamper you. Look at successful companies\u2019 measures for inspiration. Involve your team in the brainstorming<\/a>.<\/li>
  2. Appraise: <\/strong>Consider the list of effort measures you brainstormed. Which ones will have the most <\/em>effect on your team\u2019s goals?<\/li>
  3. Check: <\/strong>Your effort measure must be predictive, maintainable, measurable, and impactful. It must have an effect on the team goal, be driven by the team rather than the leader, and it must be influenceable\u2014your team needs to have control over it\u2014so it shouldn\u2019t depend more than 20% on another team.<\/li>
  4. Write: <\/strong>The effort measure statements don\u2019t have a strict format like a goal statement, but they should still be specific, start with a simple verb, and be concise. They should be clear about expectations\u2014does the lead measure need to be done daily or weekly? How often, how much, and how well? Are they concerned with team <\/em>or individual <\/em>performance?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    How Athletes Do Their Best<\/strong>

    The focus on effort, rather than results, echoes the mindset that many athletes use to consistently play at their best<\/a>. According to sports psychologist Jim Taylor, focusing on results<\/a> (like winning or losing the game) is ineffective for a couple of reasons: 

    Worrying about results (especially bad results) makes you nervous, which can stop you from performing your best. The results are largely out of your control\u2014they depend on your teammates, your opponents, and to some extent on random chance. 

    Therefore, Taylor instead suggests having these three goals: 

    Pre-game: Prepare. <\/strong>Do everything within your power to be as ready for the game as you can possibly be.

    In-game: Give your all. <\/strong>Don\u2019t settle for playing \u201cwell\u201d\u2014play your absolute best. Go all-out, take chances, and     push yourself<\/a> to the limit. 

    Post-game: Regret nothing. <\/strong>No matter what the outcome was, know that you did your best. Rather than wasting time and energy regretting what happened in the last competition, start preparing for the next one.

    All of these same principles apply to business as well: Focusing too heavily on results can lead you to make short-sighted, reactionary decisions that prevent your company or team from doing its best. It\u2019s better to prepare as best you can for whatever challenge you\u2019re facing, give your all, and then start getting ready for the next challenge.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What’s the best way to measure progress? Why are results not a good indicator of progress? People generally track progress by measuring results. The problem with using results as an indicator of progress is that they don’t tell you how to improve. For example, if your goal is to save up a certain amount of money, your only measurement might be the number in your bank account: If it\u2019s lower than your goal, you don\u2019t learn anything about how to increase it. A better way of measuring progress is to track your efforts, rather than just the results. Here’s why efforts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":16491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,14],"tags":[199],"class_list":["post-62361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-management","tag-the-4-disciplines-of-execution","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nMeasuring Progress: You're Doing It Wrong - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"People generally track progress by measuring results. But results don't tell you how to improve. It's better to measure efforts. 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