Driving Ineffective Productivity
By Michelle Malay Carter on July 9, 2008
The problem with blind ambition toward measuring performance is that systems drive behavior.? When cold calculations take the place of managerial judgments, the system is sending a message.?
“We don’t have time to look at the prevailing circumstances surrounding your work situation to judge whether your problem solving and decision making was effective, just make your numbers.”
I’ve seen very productive assembly line workers send shoddy product along because all that mattered was the number, and the probability that the shoddy product would ever get traced back to them was low.
I’ve watched the sales group offer outrageous discounts to drive sales and meet their numbers, when they knew operations couldn’t handle the volume.
Chris Young has seen recruiters fill slots with unqualified candidates to meet their recruiting goals.
You can be highly productive and ineffective.?? What have you seen?
I’m OK.? You’re OK.? Let’s fix the system.
Filed Under Accountability, Corporate Values, Employee Engagement, Managerial Leadership, Requisite Organization, Strategy, Talent Management
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