October 15th, 2007

Measure

My coaching always starts with two things – setting goals and creating visions for yourself. The next step has always been to find out your starting point – where are you; what’s going on; what are your initial conditions.

But we also have to look at measure. Now this is different for quantitative and qualitative goals. For example, if your goal is to achieve certain fitness goals, then it’s easy to establish measures to assess progress. But it’s more difficult to establish qualitative measures.

For example, number of dates a week does not necessarily measure your progress in creating a committed relationship. What it does do, however, is establish an approach – and that approach may not be optimal. An inappropriate measure may allow you to see if you’re on the right track, but the prairie dog approach may even be more effective. Prairie dogs?

Yes. Periodically stick your head up and look around. What’s changed? What do you see now?

Useful Quotations

On Other Peoples Expectations: The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurement anew every time he saw me, while all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.
George Bernard Shaw

In God we trust, all others bring data .
W. Edwards Deming

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality.
Harold S. Geneen

Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can't measure something, you can't understand it. If you can't understand it, you can't control it. If you can't control it, you can't improve it .
H. James Harrington

You get what you measure. Measure the wrong thing and you get the wrong behaviors .
John H. Lingle

Creative Corner

Measure Once, Cut Twice
Or did I do it wrong again
I must have;
I look at modern fashion
And I must have it wrong
My pants are fastened
at the waist
And my undershorts don’t show
when I walk
My hair is cut by a barber
And I shave my own face
Usually down to the skin part
I’m helplessly outdated
I must have measured wrong
again

Postscript

I’ve found out that I can actually measure how many of you actually read this. I have a LOT to learn about making this attractive, useful and actually read.

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