How do you measure performance?

One portion of our business is responsible for managing, consulting and providing support for nonprofits.   We have been doing this for 16 years.  The roles titles and responsibilities change depending on the evolutionary state of the client.

Those we “work for” follow the old management systems of supervisor and subordinate.

Those we “work with” understand the de-energizing design of hierarchy and create an environment where all contributions are valued equally.   That does not mean there is not a “chain of command”* It is that the person responsible for final decision authority may change depending on the expertise required.  My friend Brian Person describes it to his team this way.  “You will never hear me refer to you as subordinates.  You are all coordinates.  Like the satellites used for GPS navigation each of you has a unique position and perspective that together allows us to know where we are and where we need to go.”

The volunteers who run associations are often thrown into roles of responsibility for which few definitive guidelines have been established.  Each time we negotiate a new contract we try and do a better job of clarifying expectations.  Last year one of our clients hired a new executive director.  We had already been through four frustrating years pushed and pulled by politics and personalities and thought this was our chance to clearly define goals and boundaries. We thought we had the perfect start when we included this language in our contract the phrase “mutually exclusive, metrically defined responsibilities”.  Now we could at least have a conversation about goals and limitations.  What was to be expected, by whom, in what time frame, how would performance be measured and what would be considered “out of bounds”.  Seemed simple enough and good for everyone.  Shouldn’t we all at least agree on the score?  Apparently not.

Instead of agreement or at least discussion we got a lecture about sports and teamwork.  Wonderful I thought, glad you brought that comparison up.    We do need to be a team and as such KNOW what to expect from the other players.  So I asked him.  In what professional team, of any kind, in any sport do any of the players not know exactly the metrics they are being measured by?  He never answered that question and really does not appreciate me very much.

He is taking my viewpoint as a personal affront to his position of authority instead of an opportunity for clarity and consistency.

What do you do if your “boss” board or otherwise does not establish clearly defined goals and limitations? 

Set your own goals.

Include as much detail as possible including who, what, when where and especially how performance will be measured and ask for agreement.  If you can’t come to a consensus keep at it until you get as close as you can.  Having some agreed upon measure is better than no measure at all.

Make it public

If the board does not have or refuses to use a dashboard of their own you create one.  Make it as visual as possible and post it where everyone can see.  Transparent collaborative tools are best but if that is not an option use every available option.  Post “scoreboards” where everyone can see them.

 Add the other players

If other members of the team, whether they are paid or volunteer agree to produce a specific outcome by a specific time add them to your scoreboard.  There will be resistance.  Do it anyway.

Ask for input

You will be reminded (lectured to) that the board is in charge.  Yes they are.  The board is responsible for direction and is accountable to the members.  The only reason you need to create this for yourself is if the board does not want to or understand how.  If they want to take over, change the rules, goals or parameters great.  All you need is for everyone to agree.

You will be judged

As an employee or contractor you will ultimately be judged.  If goals and limitations are concrete you have clarity.  Without these measureable milestones outcomes will be unpredictable.  Boards, from our experience, are not in the habit of accurately evaluating themselves.  They have neither the time nor expertise in many cases.  Boards are by their very nature political.  Board members will seldom hold each other accountable for their deliverables.  They will also not reign in other members of the board who choose to impose their own preferences in place of established board policies.  Metrics and transparency are the only way every member of the team knows what to expect and how everyone is doing.  Without these simple tools you are running on personal preferences and personalities that never win championships.

*The chain of command is now gradually being replaced by circles of influence especially in industries where innovation, responsiveness and resilience are critical competitive advantage.