Page 18 - Performance Leadership

Chapter |1

SETTING THE SCENE

Not everything that counts, can be counted. And not
everything that can be counted, counts.
—Albert Einstein

Measurement Drives Behavior
Measurement impacts on our personal lives every single day. If we want
to lose some weight, we start by standing on the scale. Based on the out-
come, we decide how much weight we need to lose, and every other day
we check our progress. If there is enough progress, we become encour-
aged to lose more, and if we are disappointed, we’re driven to add even
more effort in order to achieve our goal. In short, measurement drives
our behavior. For many people, buying a house is an emotional decision
based on how comfortable and “at home” they feel. However, before you
sign a contract, you need to talk to the bank and do the calculations to
see whether the house is affordable for you. Measurement helps you act
with confidence.
Watching sports is no fun without keeping score. Imagine just
watching people playing tennis outside the frame of a game, set, and
match or watching a soccer game where two teams just kick the ball
around for 90 minutes without keeping score. Measurement is part of
our daily lives. It guides the decisions we make and the goals we set
for ourselves.
In the business world this is no different; measurement also drives
our professional behavior. Once your business starts measuring the

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