PERFORMANCE MEASURING TOOLS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
So you think your management group has developed some realistic, inspiring goals. And they have followed through with some strategies that will move the organization forward. Now, you come to the part where performance measures are needed, and the end is in sight.
Temptation sets in to rush through this step. Somewhat ironic is the fact that most of us start out with the idea that what is really needed are performance measures and then months and months later, after painstaking work on mission, vision, goals, strategies, FINALLY we are ready to establish performance measures, and resistance sets in. We may have grown weary, but worse, we may feel we have run out of ideas.
Certainly, one way to combat this is to keep performance measures in focus throughout the process of setting goals and developing strategies. But another way is to set aside time to brainstorm about creative ways to approach performance measure. Remember, performance measures are best if they tap into qualitative and quantitative approaches. Either way, in order to measure, you must first develop feedback.
So, here are a few approaches I recommend you play with:
- Survey feedback one of the most obvious ways to collect qualitative data but can be time intensive on an ongoing basis. There are a number of user friendly on-line survey packages that will collect and analyze your data for you. My favorite is www.surveymonkey.com. They offer a basic free version, but if you are going to do some serious surveying, you will want to upgrade.
- Think about ways to make survey feedback more accessible to your customers. Can they call and opt for a phone survey to report a service problem? Can they log onto your web-site and complete a survey?
- Yes, yes, it is true, social media have already had a huge impact on customer service. Why not be the first in your niche to launch a twitter site and encourage your customers to find you there? What is nice is that complaints must be written in 140 characters or less! Customers like interaction and fast response. No one is better at this then Twitter. Think about it.
- Digital Cameras! Capture expectations on camera. Take pictures of what things should look like when they are at their best (parks, facilities, nicely done brochures and mailings, service with a smile). Use the camera on periodic basis to capture problem areas. Or take pictures of certain areas on a quarterly basis on compare against the benchmark. Use them for discussion in team meetings and keep them in a log so you can refer back to previous quarters and assess trends over time.
- When examining financials, keep asking, “What do these numbers mean? What definitions guide us? What is it we most want to know?” Invite others who work less with the numbers to ask questions and help you see the less obvious gaps in information, or assumptions that may be a hindrance to your effectiveness in reporting.
- Get in the habit of asking questions that encourage measurement. At the end of a team meeting, ask: Where are we at currently? What is our total expected achievement within six months?
ACHIEVEMENT SCALE
0% >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 100%
What other creative performance measures have driven your organization to move in a new direction?
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