Why You Need Metrics to Accomplish A Goal

I am believe in SMART goals and I use a mind map to establish them (metrics are essential. Join the group on LinkedIn https://tinyurl.com/qc487zb

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While I agree that a goal and a dream/vision need to walk hand in hand to function properly, it is the failure of any company to doggedly and almost dogmatically pursue those "metrics" claiming that they are simply "chasing the goal/dream". This inevitably leads to employee churn, and that comes on the heels of phase one which is typically employee morale hitting the crapper. As soon as you lose your employee's morale and faith, you lose productivity and you are left with a bunch of disgruntled head-bobbers that are still showing up for a paycheque, but are truly one foot out the door already and you just don't care to notice. Balance. Nature loves it and so should the work world. One needs to have a goal to achieve and a dream/vision on how they can get there...BUT this needs to be balanced against the "what if". What if we don't achieve it? What if we get close and the ground gives way beneath us? What if there is some unforeseen event that cripples our progress towards that goal? What if...the very metrics we are employing are holding us back the most? It's a bane that so many institute metrics and then feel that this is the be-all-end-all, and they have put all their eggs in that one basket. They do not have, nor believe in a contingency. They lack a Plan B. To those types, this goal and the metrics used are based on the all-or-nothing approach. That, in itself, is a surefire way to fail before you even begin. I have in my personal experience, witnessed far too many "Managers" and "Leaders" that fail at the starting line because they were told that these metrics are what we use and we need to achieve them - no exceptions, no excuses. They trickle down that same mentality and that leads to *some* excitement (if the leader is "voice activated" - meaning he/she can really fire up a team/rock the mic, so to speak) initially but generally ends in abject disaster because they are simply parroting what their bosses and "Leaders" told them. They all have the same failing, and that is the complete and utter absence of contingency. The odds of eventuality and inevitability. Something unforeseen will almost always make an appearance, and that could be as benign as a worker that has a fender bender and needs a couple days off - right up to the disastrous which could be the gutting of your building by natural disaster or similar, leading to somewhat inspired workers but nowhere to house them to do the work. You get the idea. Balance is needed. The pursuit cannot be the only objective. Ask anyone that has ever been in a race or a competition...winning was always somewhere on their minds, but it wasn't the reason they competed. The race was the reason, not breaking the tape. In this scenario, the vision is the reason and the goal is the tape. Sometimes you'll break it, and hey, good on you! Sometimes you won't, and that's okay too. Balance is what is missing and more people would be more successful, and less churn and general workplace malaise would occur if the real and true aim was for the balance between goal and dream/vision instead of just some arbitrary metrics. Just my thoughts on the subject.

I just attended an 80th Birthday Party honoring our past Executive Director's Wife after several speakers she finally had her opportunity to share. One of her goals was to have one emergency clinic, at the age of 40, having a nursing background she was bound and determined to achieve her goal. She talked about communicating with friends, business colleagues throughout her life; "Stop what you are doing and follow up with a phone call, let people know you "Care" about them. There were 100+ guests at her celebration and she remembered names and gave all of us credit for her success. Whatever you do keep the human approach alive! I'm so glad to have Mentors like her that have paved my way for my successes and I count each day as a success and I do make my phone calls and let my customers know they are not just a number. Oh by the way she now owns Seven (7) clinics in Northwest Florida, and is grooming her daughters to take over the businesses. My goal for 2014 is to learn from others, continue communicating with friends/business partners, and win lottery, don't roll your eyes; it's going to happen.

Metrics are also important to understand what exactly you need to do to achieve your goal. If you don't know how you measure up to your goal today you won't have a clear picture of what you need to do to get where you want to be.