Leading Blog

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Robert Kaplan on learning to ask the right questions: “Fortunately, the key to managing and leading your organization and your career does not lie in ‘having all the answers.’ Source: Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog.

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Kaplan Metrics Creativity Career 458

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 27, 2014

If we should do THAT each time, the training and metrics must change. Don’t go along and destroy the vision or someone’s career to protect your own. Be THAT guy and your career will follow. Everyone wished they had the same latitude to help that guy. It became harder to talk about balanced scorecards. Every time.

Balanced Scorecard 486

Balanced Scorecard How To Simon Follow-up 486

Let's Grow Leaders

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

From Counting to Quality: Help Your Busy Team Work Smarter Last week, we talked about meaningful metrics , focusing on the game, not the score, and identifying and isolating the daily habits most likely to lead to success. Focus on Quality Metrics matter. And “counting” metrics are certainly a start.

Metrics 469

Metrics Quality Follow-up Examples 469

QAspire

AUGUST 8, 2010

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Metrics: Are They Mapped With Your Business Objectives? You can measure almost anything in your business, but if those metrics don’t serve a real business objectives, they are just numbers with no real meaning. Identify metrics : What metrics can effectively help you meet your goals?

Business Objectives 142

Business Objectives Metrics Objective Directory 142

Great Leadership By Dan

JANUARY 7, 2021

Most of them tell me that they spend most of their time looking at performance indicators - Summaries of key metrics - Spreadsheet data - Other dashboard tools. Monitoring performance metrics is a good thing. Yet sometimes internal systems present metrics that are easy for us to monitor but aren’t the right things for us to monitor.

Blanchard 326

Blanchard Metrics Incentives Consultative 326

Terry Starbucker

JULY 29, 2018

4) The right metrics & measurements are set up – Each position needs objectives measure of success, from both a personal, team, and company-wide perspective. 5 ) The metrics are monitored and measured, relentlessly – All the cool metrics in the world can’t do a lick of good unless there’s a human digesting (and using) them.

Metrics 171

Metrics Leadership Retail Follow-up 171

Women on Business

OCTOBER 12, 2012

” –Kimberly Kitchings, vice president of corporate and strategic planning program metrics for Cotton Inc. Get the Details: How Wharton Women in Business Build Careers via whartonmagazine.com. “I take copious notes on people I meet. Because we’re usually afraid to do ‘the ask.’”

Advice 197

Advice Career Strategic Planning Metrics 197

Terry Starbucker

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

It’s fun to watch once all the pieces are in place, and I’ve been fortunate to have been in that position during my career. MEASURE your successes smartly by creating metrics that are truly meaningful and actionable for every team member. Having such metrics is a critical element to employee satisfaction.

Team Building 363

Team Building Team Metrics Construction 363

Let's Grow Leaders

APRIL 11, 2017

When I look back on my career at Verizon at the times my teams truly knocked it out the park–the times we increased results exponentially and led the Nation in results or had a major turnaround pulling a team out of the abyss, there is one common characteristic. Seems so basic and easy?

Team 372

Team Download Metrics Creativity 372

Let's Grow Leaders

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

The Strategic Sort: Deciphering What Matters Most Picture this: Your boss slides over a scroll of 27 KPIs and you’re playing a corporate game of ‘Which Metric is Least Tragic?’. And curiosity about how to approach your work differently. Identifying the expendable can be surprisingly quick once you start that dialogue.

How To 601

How To Stress Power Constraint 601

Terry Starbucker

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

We focus on all of those other steps (the mantra, the metrics, the values, etc), and we’ll succeed. ” It’s always enlightening to read and hear the answers, because, after all, these folks have the benefit of hindsight to piece together all the relevant and important steps that led them to the top of the heap.

Leadership 416

Leadership Mission Statement Metrics Survey 416

Leading in Context

APRIL 18, 2018

It improves metrics including productivity, employee satisfaction and ethical brand value. It makes organizations better places to work where people want to invest time and plan careers. . By Linda Fisher Thornton Every organization needs to pay attention to trust.

Ethics 228

Ethics Metrics Brand Career 228

Let's Grow Leaders

DECEMBER 5, 2022

If you’re a new manager, eliminating these mistakes and building effective habits early will leverage your influence, build your career, reduce your frustration, and help you enjoy your work. These are practical ways you can build a strong foundation for your career. Favor Friends and Former Peers.

Management 591

Management Follow-up Motivation Learning-by-Doing 591

Leading Blog

JULY 12, 2021

Many of the painters we now celebrate as creative geniuses devoted a significant portion of their careers to copywork. Caution: do not obsess over and single metric or forge to update your metrics as you grow. #7 7 Take the Risk Out of Risk-Taking. Find stretch opportunities that don’t impose a high cost to failure.

Engineering 408

Engineering Succession Audience Metrics 408

Leading Blog

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

The dilemma is that we all need to collaborate more to create effective organizations and vibrant careers for ourselves. It's never an overnight process, but the long-term payoff is immense: to finally break out of the frenetic day-to-day routine and transform your life and your career. The key?

Books 371

Books Long-term Leadership Short-term 371

Let's Grow Leaders

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Is your team doing what you asked, but they’re focused on counting the metrics, and how busy they are as opposed to the quality metrics of how well they’re accomplishing those tasks? The reader was reading the section on meaningful metrics, and we talk about focusing on the game, not the score. What’s going on?

Productivity 266

Productivity Products Team Metrics 266

Terry Starbucker

MARCH 16, 2014

You did everything right – the right plan, the right values, the right metrics, the right strategy, the right tactics. I thought I could “fix” people multiple times in my career, and I failed every single time. You worked hard, and pushed hard. But just when you got to that last hurdle – SPLAT!

Team 375

Team Core Competence Leadership Metrics 375

Great Leadership By Dan

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Establish metrics and goals. There are two kinds of metrics – what I would call “end result”, or lagging metrics, i.e., percentage of female executives, managers, etc… and “activity”, or leading metrics. Tie executive variable pay to both end result (representation) and activity (2X2 grid) metrics.

Planning 229

Planning Development Metrics Succession 229

Terry Starbucker

AUGUST 26, 2012

” I used to hear this early in my career and feel pretty satisfied about it – after all, someone was praising me for getting the job done. And who doesn’t want to be praised? “Good Job!” Later on, I became a leader and discovered the real hazards of those two little words. A passion for greatness.

Metrics 275

Metrics Incentives Morale Career 275

Lead from Within

JANUARY 21, 2025

The Metrics Paradox Too many organizations obsess over measuring everything while missing what truly matters. The strongest cultures thrive when leaders focus on meaningful interactions rather than arbitrary metrics. Your team watches what you do far more closely than they listen to what you say.

Company 152

Company Metrics Creativity Environment 152

N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

As virtual coaching continues to gain traction, more and more leaders are embracing this powerful tool to enhance their leadership abilities and accelerate their career trajectories. Before embarking on a virtual coaching program, defining what success looks like for the leader and the organization as a whole is crucial.

Executive Coaching 433

Executive Coaching Execution Active Listening Leadership Development 433

Terry Starbucker

JULY 8, 2012

I took that child out in the workplace more than a few times in the course of my leadership career, and I’m glad I did. Or when I broke out in Barry Manilow’s “ Looks Like We Made It ” at a staff meeting after we hit an important metric milestone. And not just in my personal life.

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Sample Metrics Sports Career 326

Terry Starbucker

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

I’ve experienced that plenty of times in my career, at one moment preaching about a “BHAG” – the Big, Hairy Audacious Goal – and just a few moments later drilling down and coming to terms on a missed quarterly target) .

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BHAG Company Short-term Long-term 391

Let's Grow Leaders

AUGUST 29, 2022

Have you ever noticed it’s not necessarily the times in your career that you worked the longest or hardest that led to better recognition? ” “I know all of these metrics matter, but which matters the most? Help them become leader teachers. Differentiate Performance. Focus their efforts on what matters most.

How To 476

How To Learning-by-Doing Team Execution 476

N2Growth Blog

JULY 14, 2019

The Demand Metric 2013 Employee Engagement Survey concluded that organizations that have more than 50% employee engagement retain more than 80% of their customers. A clear business case for leaders to focus on building engaged teams across the business. There are a number of key activities to succeed in employee engagement.

Metrics 353

Metrics Commitment Report Tools 353

Lead from Within

JANUARY 7, 2025

Schedule monthly anonymous feedback, work with a coach to address blind spots, and set clear metrics for impact. Your next step goes beyond checking boxesit’s about evolving your perspective and approach. Partner with peer executives for honest accountability.

Leadership Styles 153

Leadership Styles Self-aware Leadership McKinsey 153

Leading Blog

MARCH 1, 2024

Managers keep score of a range of business metrics: market share, revenue, profit margin, growth rate. But that same relentless brilliance that propels you in your career can take a toll on your teams, personal relationships, and even your health. In our personal lives, social media has us keeping score by likes and followers.

Books 334

Books Leadership Ryan Sharpe 334

Leading Blog

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

This is a guest post by Joel Garfinkle, author of Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. Believing it’s the boss’s job to manage your career. Career management is your job, not his. Don’t leave your career management up to your boss. Great material.

Executive Coaching 285

Executive Coaching Bottom-up Career Short-term 285

N2Growth Blog

DECEMBER 5, 2023

The CPO works closely with the HR team to develop and implement programs that promote continuous learning, provide career advancement opportunities, and encourage innovation. This involves setting performance metrics, providing regular feedback and coaching, and conducting performance reviews.

CPO 416

CPO Human Resources Compliance Human Capital 416

N2Growth Blog

APRIL 25, 2024

They must maintain transparent communication on career progression and potential succession strategies. It delves into the assessment of the individuals involved, the organization as a whole, and the long-term trajectory of success defined by key performance metrics. Inflexible plans are the hidden Achilles heel of many organizations.

Uncertainty 442

Uncertainty Planning Succession Long-term 442

Leading Blog

DECEMBER 9, 2019

How does the organization intend to encourage my professional development and career growth? What advice can you offer on ways I can move forward in my career? Is our organization tracking metrics to drive performance or to empower people? What key performance indicators should I be measuring in my position?

Strategic Planning 286

Strategic Planning Workshop Objective Learning-by-Doing 286

Next Level Blog

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

The further along you are in your career, the more likely you are to have carved out a lane for yourself and established a track record of success. Getting a new boss can be disruptive for anyone at any level but especially so for senior executives who have invested a lot of time, effort, and ego into their careers.

How To 280

How To Wilde Execution Influence 280

Leading Blog

JULY 12, 2019

What matters to the average worker includes career opportunity, meaningful work, a balanced life, a fair wage, and being treated with respect—not increasing output. As a leader or manager, you have to attend to the goals of your board or bosses and to the career aspirations of your workers.

Consultative 248

Consultative Goal Career Metrics 248

Let's Grow Leaders

JANUARY 14, 2015

I spent the first decade of my career in HR. Disconnected Metrics. If the most important HR metrics are anything other than tangible business results, you’ll never be a serious strategic partner. .” An eye roll rapidly followed by, “Do we have to?” 4 Reasons HR Gets a Bad Rap. HR belongs at the table.

P&L 180

P&L Metrics Compliance Advice 180

Terry Starbucker

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

The short version of this definition is commonly known as “everybody on the same page” I’ve heard that line again and again during my career, but more often in the form of a lament. And, better still, I knew that if those metrics were optimized, profit would follow. The first, is a Total (Valued) Customer Number.

Retail 325

Retail Drucker Objective Metrics 325

Terry Starbucker

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

Never re-evaluating or challenging exisiting metrics and goals “since they’re not broken” 13. Indeed, these are short cuts on our leadership map, and early on in my career, I fell to temptation and tried just about all of them. Not double-checking the math (yes, even if it’s on a spreadsheet).

Short-term 319

Short-term Leadership Long-term Policies 319

Lead from Within

JANUARY 1, 2025

Hearts Before Charts First-time leaders tend to focus exclusively on metrics and deliverables while overlooking team dynamics and individual motivations. This mindset stifles creativity, reduces psychological safety, and prevents the honest feedback needed for organizational growth and adaptation.

Management 141

Management Delegation McKinsey Micromanagement 141