If You Have to Use Metrics…

Earlier this year I wrote an article “Are Metrics Killing Morale?” in which I challenged the benefits of (often blind) information gathering and took to task the greater importance of communicating openly and having reciprocal trust with employees.  While I remain firm in that opinion, I also recognize that there are reasons to collect data.  When that is the case, the human element must still be considered.  So the focus needs to turn toward strategies which produce the most value, with the fewest drawbacks.

Metrics are utilized for the purpose of improving business operations or output.  They may be intended to enhance customer service, manage productivity, or boost profitability.  While the purpose is clear, the challenge remains:  The act of collecting metrics can affect morale, and undermine an otherwise functional work environment.

Following are suggestions for engaging in the collection of metrics in a thoughtful and collaborative manner – one in which employee input and buy-in occur at the onset. 

1.    State your core goal – Do you want to improve profitability?  Increase customer satisfaction?  Reduce theft?  Make your purpose clear to all those who will be affected by any changes.  Telling them your purpose allows you to begin building buy-in before you begin implementing ideas.

2.    Share ideas - Most likely your Executive team has already considered several ideas for progressing toward the core goal.   Before making/or furthering an investment in technology or software, share these ideas with the employees who will be affected.  Their intimate knowledge of the company, clients, and processes may yield invaluable information or ideas.  

3.    Involve staff - Ask the employees who will be utilizing or implementing tracking activities to critique the ideas brought forth.  Will the goal be attained?  What won’t work?  What problems have been missed?  Is there anything inherently wrong with the methodology?  Have staff suggest alternate solutions.  Encourage them to brainstorm ideas or propose changes that will attain the desired goal.

4.    Build consensus – Once ideas have been heard, and a plan is in place, it’s time to sell the idea to your staff.  This is an internal marketing moment, because change is hard and you need commitment and buy-in from a majority of your staff if you want the project to be successful.   Be sure to openly communicate details including: Who will be involved?  What will be required? Where will the information go?  How will it be used?  How long will the metrics/tracking last? And be ready to defend the “Why?” for all of those questions.  Be prepared to answer their questions and to “sell” the projected plan.

5.    Begin slowly – Executing a project that transforms your business in terms of large goals like customer satisfaction or productivity takes time to succeed.  Rather than moving at full force from day 1, consider having a pilot group that begins the process.  Depending on your circumstances, you may want this group to be from one department, or you may prefer a diverse group test it out.  

6.    Be Nimble - As you begin to undertake a plan for change, problems are likely to surface or unforeseen issues arise.  Be ready to make changes to the plan as needs suggest, and communicate any change, and the reasons behind them, to your staff.  

7.    Share results – At pre-determined intervals, (ie. 90 days, 6 mos., 1 year) let staff know how the project is going.  Has the data collected been valuable for illuminating the needs/problems?  Is it assisting us in reaching our goal?  What changes will be made as a result of the information we have acquired?

By engaging with staff before, during, and after the process has begun, you establish both a collaborative partnership built on trust and communication, as well as a shared commitment to the success of the organization. 

Are Metrics Killing Morale?

Metrics.  They’re everywhere.  They’re ubiquitous and overused.  And they’re killing us in the workplace. 

Before entering into private practice, I worked for a non-profit organization that decided to begin a new reporting protocol to track the services used by our client population.  That might sound reasonable, except that a similar program was already in place, and the original reports were not being replaced by this new, more time-consuming one.   Further, there was no clear purpose or benefit for the added information.  Our already over-worked team was shaken at the idea of being asked to duplicate their time-consuming paperwork. 

My husband, an IT professional, has experienced different challenges with metrics.  He has been asked to track and report on the usage of each piece of equipment (information that he notes has never led to change) and each client interaction.  The latter with the unfortunate focus (and reward) being on the number of clients served.  This client-service tracking led some techs to reduce their customer service or take costly short-cuts.  In this case, the metrics incentivized poor service.   

And while working with clients, I have learned of similar challenges and frustrations that were tied to seemingly irrelevant record keeping and tracking.  Some of these situations were at the core of staff member conflicts, taking the form of insubordination, or inter-team conflicts.   

Looking at the above situations, the use of metrics brought about an increase in workplace tensions and conflict, a lowering of productivity and morale, and a reduction in customer service and satisfaction.   How did this happen?  Aren’t metrics supposed to help us improve processes, customer service, and profitability?   As I see it, yes and no.  

Yes, they can (potentially) help us improve these things, but no, they aren’t always the right answer for accomplishing the goal.   

Here’s the limitation - Metrics cannot take the place of good management, careful oversight, or involved, committed employees.  They cannot make necessary inferences and watch for confirmation of the results.  These qualities are why we prefer a person for customer service over an automated system.  And these human elements are at the core of eliminating theft, building productivity, and enhancing customer interaction.  Humans have the ability to ask a question, seek more information when needed, interpret, intuit, and comprehend.  Data limits this – and us.   

If we really want to bring about important change, or track concerns or issues in the workforce, we need to communicate this to our managers and employees.  We must enlist their intelligence, creativity and support in accomplishing the goals intended.  We need to engage them in planning, and conversely, we need to listen to their needs.  To accomplish our goals and build a strong team, we need to bring about change in a cohesive way; One that allows for unguarded information sharing, open communication and reciprocal trust.  Only then can we begin to work collectively to reaching our goals – and only then will the goals actually matter.