How to drive evidence-based performance
In all my work around reporting budget performance, I’ve come to the realisation that it’s about motivation.
In fact, we need to use numbers to drive performance every day. Whether that be:
number of steps per day to improve our health;
dollar amount to build our savings;
hitting our budget numbers in the workplace
More importantly, how can we use numbers as a source of motivation?
I like to call it the mathematics of motivation.
My love of numbers started at a young age. In the days of backyard cricket. Playing with my friends and my younger brother Michael. Where I would write down all the scores in my A5 notebook. At the end of the day, I would re-calculate everyone’s averages and announce them as the daylight began to fade. Starting with the lowest average and finishing with the highest.
One night, I was half-way through announcing the averages for the day when my brother interrupted me.
“I don’t want to play anymore”.
“Why not?”, I asked.
“Because… I just don’t want to” he replied.
His score had been the first one read out over the last 3 days. He had the lowest batting average. No longer did he have the motivation to play with us.
I felt sad. Actually, I felt devastated for my brother.
I lay awake in bed that night. I wanted our backyard cricket days to continue. But I also wanted my brother to be happy.
The next day there was no cricket.
I used the “rest day” to look back at all the scores I had collected over the holidays. I thought my brother had improved a fair bit over the holidays. So, I started to look for some trends. My brother’s daily average had improved consistently since we started. His highest score was made just last week. His average this week was also higher than his average for last week.
I realised I needed to change the end of day routine. Announcing scores from lowest to highest was no longer an option.
A couple of days rest was all it took for my brother’s enthusiasm to return. And the sound of tennis balls hitting backyard fences returned to our neighbourhood. At the first break in play, I took the opportunity to mention some upcoming milestones.
“Michael (my brother) needs another 15 runs to get to 600 runs for the holidays.”
“Andre’s next wicket will be his 20th for the holidays. And he has also taken the most catches.”
They both had an extra spring in their step. In fact, the mood of everyone was lifted. There was a level of excitement. An extra sense of urgency. Both milestones would be achieved in the next hour. Followed by high fives and cheering. I had used the numbers to drive performance. Real-time feedback that focussed on highlighting small wins. This had provided my brother and our friends motivation.
No longer would I announce the averages from lowest to highest. These numbers were driving the reporting of results. Instead, I would use numbers that would provide my brother and our friends a source of motivation to drive performance.
How are you using numbers as a source of motivation?
Robert