That provides a nice segue to talking about the next challenge - measuring. I have interacted with a lot of supervisors and managers over the years and measuring results is a consistent challenge. The obstacles are numerous:
- They aren't very disciplined people, so they are not very interested in measuring
- The systems available to them make measuring what's important a difficult task
- The results they are trying to measure are primarily subjective rather than objective things
- The process they are trying to measure is extremely complex
- They simply haven't put in the thinking time to identify what matters most (i.e. what deserves measuring).
Here are just a few pointers:
- Don't overdo it. Don't try to start measuring everything. Go through the rigor of deciding what matters most. Pick 2 or 3 to start. What has the biggest impact on your ability to generate the profit you want? Or, if you are a non-profit, what most impacts your ability to deliver on your mission?
- Take a balanced approach, i.e. don't focus solely on financial measures. Measure things related to your customers/clients, your processes and the development of your people.
- Use my modified KISS principle - Keep It Seriously Simple; don't make it complicated and if you don't already have technology in place, start manually.
Seize the day!
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