4 Ways to Measure Progress

Summary

This video explores different types of progress measures to monitor and improve performance. It introduces four key categories: performance measures (results over time), activity measures (tracking habits), quota measures (task completion), and status measures (cumulative progress). The video emphasizes how these measures support each other, with quota measures building discipline, activity measures fostering habits, and performance measures driving results toward goals. The presenter encourages viewers to reflect on their own progress measures and link them to the model discussed.

Takeaways

• 😀 Monitoring progress is essential not just for tracking results, but also for adjusting behaviors and celebrating achievements.
• 😀 There are four main types of progress measures: performance, activity, quota, and status measures.
• 😀 Performance measures track results over time, helping to evaluate how we are progressing towards goals.
• 😀 Activity measures monitor habits and actions, ensuring consistent behaviors that support performance improvement.
• 😀 Quota measures focus on completing specific tasks, building discipline and strengthening task completion skills.
• 😀 Status measures track cumulative progress toward larger goals, providing a visual representation of how close we are to achieving them.
• 😀 XMR charts are effective for visualizing performance and activity measures, showing changes over time.
• 😀 Performance measures are key to understanding how results are evolving towards a desired target or capability level.
• 😀 Activity measures are useful for sustaining consistent actions, but they require context (end goals) to provide meaning.
• 😀 Quota measures help in maintaining discipline and completing repeatable tasks, often visualized with checklists or tally sheets.
• 😀 All four types of progress measures support each other, with quota measures building discipline, activity measures ensuring consistency, and performance measures driving better results towards status goals.

Q & A

What is the purpose of measuring progress in the context of performance?

Measuring progress serves multiple purposes: it helps monitor processes, modify behaviors, celebrate achievements, and track the success of reaching specific goals.

What are the four types of progress measures mentioned in the script?

The four types of progress measures are performance measures, activity measures, quota measures, and status measures.

How do performance measures differ from other types of progress measures?

Performance measures focus on the progress of results over time, indicating how close we are to achieving a target or desired level. They help assess current capability compared to past and future performance.

What kind of chart is best for monitoring performance measures?

XMR charts are the best tool for visually monitoring performance measures, as they track progress over time and provide a clear comparison of results.

What are some examples of performance measures (KPIs)?

Examples of performance measures include LTFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) by month, budget variance by month, and average cycle time by week.

Why are activity measures less emphasized in performance measurement?

Activity measures are often seen as obvious and do not require much thinking to choose or monitor. They mainly track consistency in behaviors and habits but are less impactful without the context of results.

What are some examples of activity measures?

Examples of activity measures include the number of travel requests processed per week, customer proposals submitted per month, and the length of track maintained per month.

What do quota measures focus on, and how are they visualized?

Quota measures focus on the completion of repeatable tasks and often aim to reach a set quota or quantity. They are visualized through checklists or tally sheets that track progress toward task completion.

Can you give examples of quota measures (KPIs)?

Examples of quota measures include the number of sales calls made per day, emails processed (aiming for inbox zero), and words written per day (e.g., 1,000 words).

What is the role of status measures in progress monitoring?

Status measures track cumulative progress toward a total score or goal, such as reaching an annual budget target, earning loyalty points, or growing a customer base. They are often represented by cumulative line charts or progress bars.

How can different types of progress measures work together?

Quota measures build discipline to complete tasks, which in turn fosters habits that support activity measures. These habits enhance performance, and improved performance leads to better progress toward status goals. All measures should complement each other to support sustained progress.

Why is it important to understand the quadrant in the measuring progress model?

Understanding the quadrant helps determine where different types of progress measures fit and how they relate to each other. This allows for more effective tracking and ensures that the right measures are used to support overall progress.