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Getting Paid To Play- How To Keep Score In Business and Win"
Many people compare a business with recreation and sports. Business terms like
coaching, winning at all costs, team work all come from sports examples. Why is it that
most people playing sports and recreational activities can tell you exactly what the score
is and how well they are playing, but, business owners or managers do not keep score
or measure employee performance as effectively as they do in sports?
During my 25 years of managing and supervising people, I’ve come across another
puzzling thought. Why do more people put up to ten times as much energy and effort
into their recreational sports rather than into their jobs? For example, on a very hot day
the air conditioning can go out in the office and employees start to sweat and tug at their
shirt collars complaining that it is too hot to work. But when they cut out early and get
home where it is probably a lot hotter they ask themselves or others, “Hey, what about a
game of Golf or tennis?” Some people will even go out and mow their lawn.
The questions then become, why do most managers find it harder to keep score in their
business than they do in keeping score in sports and why do people play harder in
sports than they do on the job? Let me share some reasons.
First, in sports goals are clearly defined: Winning a game; beating your previous score
in golf or improving your running time. The desired result is clear and easily measured.
Can you imagine playing a professional game of football or soccer with no end zones or
goals, or the commissioner stating that we didn’t want to do all the accounting so just
play around and get some exercise? Employees want and need to know how the game
is played and how their performance is being measured. One way is to take your yearly
performance evaluation form and go over it with every new hire during their first week on
the job. This way they will know how and on what they will be evaluated and measured.
No surprises.
Second, scorekeeping in sports is much better because it is more objective, self
administered, peer audited and allows the players to compare current personal
performance with past personal performance. In sports everyone knows how to keep
score. In business, sometimes workers don’t understand the scorekeeping system or
even cares. If you hit a golf ball into the woods you don’t have to wait six months or a
year to find out how well you are doing. You might feel bad but scorekeeping becomes
an effective form of motivation because you didn’t perform up to your own personal
expectations, not based on Tiger Woods.
Have your employees get involved in setting their own goals and performance standards
as well as keeping their own score of how well they are doing. Have you ever met a
runner who didn’t have their own stop watch to keep track of their time? Chuck
Coonradt, founder of the Western Leadership Group says it best. “If winning isn’t
important, why do we spend all that money on scoreboards?”
Third, in sports feedback is more frequent and realistic. You know at all times how
you are doing. Everyone needs to know everyday if they are winning or losing. In most
sports and recreational activities, you don’t have to wait on a boss or supervisor to tell
you how you are doing. You know what the score is as the game progresses and no one
can change that just because they don’t like you. If you play a sport, feedback is
accurate and frequent- you know where you stand during the entire game. Everyone
knows how to keep score. Feedback is the breakfast of champions. People who want to
get ahead, win or improve their performance, want feedback that is frequent and
accurate. Schedule a regular time to meet with your employees one on one throughout
the year, not just during the evaluation period. Use a simple “stop”, “start” and “continue
doing” format with your employees to help keep score.
Fourth, in recreation participants feel they have choices. In business, many
employees feel they “have to”, “must do” or “should do”. How many times have you
heard someone say “I have to go play golf?” Managers need to select people to do tasks
based on their employee’s personal interests or abilities rather than just because the
manager says so. When people feel they have no choices they will begin to lose their
enthusiasm and performance suffers. Find out from your employees what they are good
at or would enjoy doing and give them the choice and opportunity to play.
Fifth, in sports they don’t change the rules in the middle of the game. Can you
imagine if they changed the rules in the middle of a football game? What would happen
if the referee says that the ball carrier got into the end zone too easily, so the touchdown
will only be worth four points instead of six? In business, however, rules are frequently
changed in the middle of the game. How many times do managers increase productivity
standards, sales managers increase quotas for their salespeople or businesses provide
less service or take away amenities from customers in order to make more money?
Changing the rules in the middle of the games creates uncertainty and makes it more
difficult for the players to meet the expectations. Be consistent or if changes need to be
made get the involvement and buy-in from your employees.
Principles that lead to motivation in recreation and sports can be applied to business
with great results. Professional athletes are paid to play. But the enthusiasm, excitement
and willingness of their involvement comes from the elements of the game, how to keep
score and knowing what the score is, not the paycheck. Once people are sold on the
value of scorekeeping and their personal goals are consistent with the goals of the
organization, rules are clearly defined and you allow your people to know if they are
winning or losing every day, their productivity will soar.
When your players help develop their own scorekeeping system, they own it, care for it
and fight to retain it. They will then begin to enjoy their work and will give the same
enthusiasm and energy to their work that they give to their sports and recreational
activities. Try it. You may have a lot more fun at work. Let the games begin!
John Formica, Motivational Speaker and Team Coach, is President of JOHN FORMICA
ENTERPRISES, LLC, a training and coaching firm based in Charlotte, NC, specializing
in workshops on leadership development, hiring right, communication, team
relationships and improving the customer’s experience. He can be reached at (704) 9654090 or [email protected] to speak or to spice up your next meeting.