T. Scott Gross

Psych 101. That’s where I heard it and although time has erased some of the detail, the point remains crystal clear. Researchers studying the effect of feedback on productivity were working with a steel mill intending to increase production. When the workers were asked how many tons of product were produced on their shift, the researchers were surprised to discover that even though the supervisors had a pretty clear idea of the totals, the folks who actually did the work were, for the most part, clueless.

The research team decided to measure the output of the day shift and chalked the number in large numerals in the center of the shop floor.

“What’s this?” asked the evening shift operators.

“That’s the day shift production total.”

When the day shift arrived the following morning their production total had been replaced by a new, larger number that represented the night shift total. The friendly competition continued as the workers implemented new, worker inspired ideas for increasing production.

I can’t attest to every detail. But I would appreciate a little credit for remembering what I did. After all, this was the late 60’s!

Accurate or not, the point remains the same: Feedback shapes performance.

Now fast forward a couple of decades. We’re running a small-town franchise fried chicken restaurant when, one day, I walked to the drive-thru window and with a red marker wrote a big, fat number on the window.

“What’s that?” asked the kid working the inside counter. “It’s his average sale per transaction and you’re getting one, too!”

And in short order our sales per transaction number was exactly 50% higher than the chain-wide average.

Chuck Coonradt, wrote a fabulous book, The Game of Work, in which he asked, why do people pay for the hard work of playing sports when, back at the office, they are reluctant to work even though they are paid?

Coonradt believed the explanation was that if work were more like the games we played, we might work with the same gusto as we play.

So what can producing steel, hawking fried chicken, and a pick-up game of round ball possibly have in common? If you treat them as if they were a game, performance improves.

With a deep bow to Coonradt, here are the elements that make a game…and sometimes work…fun!

• The score is updated constantly.
• The score is visible to everyone.
• You get to play with people you like.
• You have the potential to play well.
• The entire team is rewarded.
• You have options to determine how you play the game.
• The game doesn’t outlast your attention span.
• There is an element of risk.
• It is possible to lose.

Three years ago, as a newly elected city council member, I introduced our city government to the value of keeping score. It wasn’t easy. In fact, we lost a department head almost immediately. But I am proud to say that the problems I pledged to reform when I ran for my first term on City Council are not even mentioned in the position paper I have issued for this year’s re-election bid.

(If you think your town might benefit from service metrics, send them to me!)

We’ve come a long way and have a long way to go. I have come to believe the principles apply universally. Currently we are testing new tools of performance in four internationally recognized QSR (fast food) concepts.

I’ll be back soon with a full report. In the meantime see how you might apply the elements in the list above to supercharge performance in your neck of the woods!

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