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Establishing Performance Standards 109

dency toward deafness and blindness to early warning signals of potential
problems may develop.
The World War II attack on Pearl Harbor would likely have resulted in
less tragic consequences for the United States if radar operators had
promptly issued an alert after observing an unusually large blip on the radar
screen. Operators apparently did not have the competence and confidence
needed to properly interpret and report this “red-flag” condition. Rather
than risking the possibility of sounding a false alarm on a Sunday morning,
operators looked for alternate explanations and ultimately rationalized the
activity as a squadron of U.S. bombers. The first wave of Japanese aircraft
arrived without warning at Pearl Harbor 38 minutes later. Following the at-
tack, deficiencies in battle readiness standards were addressed by relieving
top military commanders from their assignments, but the damage at Pearl
Harbor had been done. 3
Employees need more than a road map for performing critical work; a
compass is needed to provide direction in uncharted territory. Employees on
night shift, for example, need to understand they have authority and are ex-
pected to shut down equipment as needed to maintain safe conditions.
Employees are continually recalibrating their compasses based upon how
they perceive management reactions to events. When employees are faced
with difficult decisions regarding actions to take, factors—such as how the
boss reacted the last time equipment was shut down, and the level of mutual
confidence between the boss and employee—become critical. North on the
compass is continually being redirected by management’s actions—includ-
ing some actions subject to misinterpretation. It has been observed, for ex-
ample, that if equipment is down for repairs, managers often ask their
subordinates when startup will be, but the message typically heard by sub-
ordinates is, “Hurry, we’re losing money!” In these situations, employees
may rationalize the taking of shortcuts, including the violation of safe work
practices, in order to achieve the results they perceive to be the most im-
portant to the boss. Managers need to remember that their communications
and personal reactions continually shape and reshape employee perceptions
of expected performance.

Standards—A Prerequisite for
Measurement, Feedback, and

Accountability

Standards provide benchmarks for measurement and a basis for per-
formance feedback.