Performance Scoreboards – How Ricky Got Fired…

The Issue – Performance Motivation by Using Public Scoreboards

Regional Director- “The environment is a little stale lately.  We need to invoke some competition.”

Ricky, the Underling Location Manager with limited experience – “Let’s post the monthly results.  That’ll make them compete.”

Director – “Good idea, make it so…” (while reading blackberry)

Results – Scenario #1 – Sales Team

Ricky posts scoreboard for sales team first.  Intensely competitive sales types jockey for position.  Performers give 100.5% to gain position on scoreboard.  Non-performers quietly fade away and resign two months later, heads lowered in shame because they couldn’t “get it done”.

Ricky gets pat on the head from Director.  Feels good…

Results – Scenario #2 – Accounting Team

Emboldened by success with Sales Team, Ricky develops productivity scoreboard for Accounting team.  Ricky sends out an email.  Ricky posts results.  Nothing happens for Ricky.  Accounting team’s lack of sensitivity to Ricky’s motivational techniques is driving Ricky crazy.  Ricky acts erratically.  Accounting team doesn’t notice Ricky.

Ricky complains to Director.  Director tells him he needs to be more intense about his expectations of underlings.

Results – Scenario #3 – Call Center Team

Ricky figures the Accounting team just doesn’t get it.  Ricky moves to next department.  Ricky posts scoreboard of call center stats on call center floor, ranking call center reps.  Top 10% of call center reps jockey for position. Middle 70% ignore the scoreboard.  Bottom 20% of call center reps jockey for best protection against getting fired.  Half of those pick EEOC charge with questionable merits.  Other half pick reaching out to local union rep for thoughts on organizing call center.

EEOC charges and internal organizing campaign reach corporate in the following 3 months.  Subsequent focus groups reveal call center believes Ricky wants to fire them, accounting feels Ricky doesn’t understand what they do, and the Sales force is motivated by compensation and doesn’t know who Ricky is.

Ricky leaves company.

Moral of Story

1. Perception is reality.
2. PR is a component of managing.
3. One size doesn’t fit all.
4. Measurement is not a replacement for coaching/dialog.
5. Don’t be Ricky.