The Game of Work / Coonradt 38-39

38 Management by judgment - The danger with management by judgment is that too often generalizations are made from insufficient data.

When you have to correct someone, always be ultra-specific.

Unfortunately most managers manage by judgment and observation rather that by measurement. Judgment leads to prejudgment, which leads to prejudice. Prejudice leads to blindness.

39 Never make a negative generalization! Even if you think it is true, it will do more harm than good. Instead, when describing a negative situation be ultra-specific.

Management by measurement is the one management method that works. I believe that our progress in business, or life, relates directly to our ability to measure.

The Game of Work / Coonradt 36-37

37 There are three ways to manage a company - by observation, by judgment, or by measurement. When we manage by measurement, we keep score.

There are three basic problems with management by observation:

1. It is almost always not inaccurate, like trying to judge a book by the cover, or a movie by the preview.

2. It is not relevant to what is going on.

3. It is generally negative.

The Game of Work / Coonradt 35-36

35 If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.-George Odiorne

36 Scorekeeping is the heart of athletics, and it must be the heart of every successful business.

Business managers much be on constant lookout for new measurements to improve productivity.

The primary responsibility of managers is to set the rules and create the scorecards.

The Game of Work / Coonradt 31-33

32 But if you set realistic goals and work on them and work on them and work on them, you can get big results. It's like those IRA advertisements. They say if you start making small deposits at age twenty-five and stick with it, you will be a millionaire by the time you retire. Paul J Meyers calls that progressive realization. I call it the secret of success. There are a million dollars in your head, if you can just figure out how to get them out. Keep after it.

Individual goals are the foundation of corporate human-resource development and planning.

33 Having goals means have desires.

Teamwork is based on great individual execution.

The Game of Work / Coonradt 28-31

29 Paul J. Meyer said, "You must first set goals to become before you attempt to set goals to have"

Winners are champions of change and choice.

Goals and benefits go together. The acronym WIIFM stands for, What's in it for me? Make sure you've got some WIIFM in your goal program.

30 Our communication won't be very effective if we are trying to shove the how down someone's throat when he or she is still waiting to hear the why. But if we can clearly define the why, then we will have the kind of performance we want and the how will pretty much take care of itself.

The why is such an integral part of recreation that we sometimes overlook its significance. The why also needs to be in personal, business, and volunteer activities. Any goal without a benefit statement has no motivational value. Goals much be realistic and obtainable, and they mush also carry a promise of reward if achieved.