What’s Important Around Here?

Whether we intend it or not, our measures keep broadcasting what is important around here. Measurement is a hard-wired communications system.

This is one of the reasons that I advise my clients to be intentional and thoughtful in defining their measures. Ensuring that their measurements:

• align directly with their strategic direction;
• focus on the areas of greatest importance for improvement; and
• are balanced.

Let me share an example of unintended consequences:

For many organizations in the human services field, using the time of clinicians well is very important. These professionals are in short supply, are highly trained, and are the heart of the service.

And so logically, this organization wanted to ensure they were optimizing how clinicians spent their time—wanting most time to be used in direct service to clients.

They created and began sharing a monthly productivity report that allowed a clinician to see what percentage of their time was spent with clients.

Unfortunately, this was the sole measurement information they sent to staff routinely. Not a well-balanced set of organizational measures about various dimensions such as clinical quality, customer service, employee satisfaction, access to service, and financial health.

Their singularly focused measurement system around clinician productivity became almost a megaphone in the organization. Not intentionally but because measurement is hard-wired communication.

Staff began to fill in their own explanations:

• We can’t get any new staff unless we are more productive.
• The only work that is valued around here is time directly spent with clients.
• We are not valued as people unless we are highly productive.
• We must be in poor shape financially given all of this focus on productivity.

In fact, none of these points were true. But the measurement system, or in this case this singularly broadcasted measure, had created and then proliferated a narrative.

It took on a life of its own. Unintended consequences.

NOTE: This organization has since taken on a methodical approach to translating its strategic direction into a set of measures. Bringing clarity and balance to what it measures. It is actively working to overcome the unintentional narrative.

Measurement is a powerful communicator. It signals what is important around here. And it keeps transmitting even when our words fall short.

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Kathy Letendre, President and Founder of Letendre & Associates, advises organizations and leaders to create their excellence advantage.
Contact Kathy by phone or text at 802-779-4315 or via email.