2 min read: A common frustration right now seems to be getting direct reports to submit information required for KPI reporting. Recently a disparate collection of managers learnt a little bit about behavioural science and all set out to experiment with whether they could use the principles to make the behaviour of submitting KPI information more likely. By making the following simple changes they were able to deliver an average increase in performance of 30%:
Resetting expectations – sitting down with the performers to explain why the information was required and how it was used was a common first step.
Asking for feedback to identify barriers – a nice touch in engaging the performers but also identified some IT issues and an opportunity to automate aspects of reporting.
On the job coaching – spending one to one time running through the process rather than just issuing an email instruction.
Aligning consequences – most importantly all of the managers recognised that their behaviour was actually reinforcing the problem, when the information was sent through incomplete, or not at all, they had all slipped into the trap of completing it themselves. Instead they started following up to recognise improvements and also following by returning any incomplete returns.
Interestingly all of the managers commented that initially they had felt very uncomfortable about not stepping in to complete the information, they recognised that it had been their willingness to jump in to the detail that had created the problem in the first place.
allison@sciencebasedleadership.co.uk