PBL Participant Toolbook

Measurement
Context
As Roger works on his Accountability Matrix, he becomes more
excited about how he can focus on behavior to impact results. As
he is contemplating what to do, he knows he’ll need a
measurement system—after all, how will he know if he’s making a
difference? However, he’s having some trouble figuring out how to
measure behavior. Does he have to be around all the time to count
how often behavior occurs? That seems time-consuming and
impossible. What should he do?

Why Measure?
How do you know when you’re achieving your business objectives?
How do you know whether your leadership behaviors actually affect 25
the performance of others? Measuring behaviors will give you the

Measurement
data you need to answer these questions. Specifically, measuring
will enable you to:

• Describe trends and patterns in behavior

• Evaluate the impact of your leadership behaviors on others

• Provide feedback and reinforcement for measured

improvements in behavior

Description
When tracking changes, it’s possible to measure both behavior and
results. When you measure behavior, you typically measure how
often someone does something. Results are products of behavior—
an indication that a behavior occurred.

 2002 CLG
 PBL Participant Toolbook

Some examples of the differences between results and behaviors

are represented in the following table:

RESULTS INDICATORS BEHAVIORS

• Completed application forms
turned in at end of day
• Completed orders reported at
end of day
• Number of Accountability
Matrices completed
• Asking customers if they are
interested in completing
applications
• Making phone calls to take orders
• Analyzing behavioral pinpoints
related to critical results targets

When to Measure Results vs. When

to Measure Behavior
Although it’s possible to measure both results and behavior, it
sometimes makes sense to measure one or the other—or some
combination of both. In fact, it’s often best to keep your eye on
results and directly observe behavior on a regular basis. Tracking
26 only results can be dangerous because it might lead people to think
Measurement

that how they get those results is not important. Tracking only
Measurement

behaviors can also be dangerous because people can lose sight of

the need to produce results.

Use the table below to get a feel for when to track results and
behaviors.

TRACK RESULTS &

TRACK BEHAVIORS SAMPLE BEHAVIORS TRACK RESULTS
• The performer is • Results and behaviors • You know that when
learning a new skill and are important—it’s results don’t occur,
you want to provide important to be sure the behaviors aren’t
frequent, immediate the right behaviors are occurring (because a
feedback leading to the results good correlation
• The performer needs • You need examples of exists between
lots of feedback to get behavior to provide behavior and results)
the right behaviors more meaningful • The behavior
going feedback produces a
• You need to be sure • It appears that both the permanent product
that everyone is right results and the
engaging in the right right behaviors are
behavior to get the occurring
results

 2002 CLG
PBL Participant Toolbook

In order to collect the data you need, follow these steps:

1. Select the most relevant dimensions with which to measure

the pinpoint (e.g., frequency, duration, or percent correct).

2. Determine the measurement technique (e.g., checklist or

checksheet).

3. Decide who will collect the data.

4. Determine when and how often to collect the data.

5. Determine how the data will be used to provide feedback

(e.g., graphed and posted, reviewed in meetings, or shared
individually).

Example
Nina, a manager, wants to see how many times her performers 27
provide positive feedback to each other during weekly team

Measurement
meetings. She wants an estimate of how consistently the behavior
is occurring, so she uses a sampling/probing technique. Nina
begins randomly observing opportunities for the behavior and
records them on a data sheet (see page 28). Nina uses the data
sheet to share her observations and provide feedback to her
performers.

 2002 CLG
 PBL Participant Toolbook

BEHAVIOR OBSERVATION RECORD

Behavior: Provide positive feedback to each other during weekly team meetings
Observation Performers
Week of 6/21/00 Sally Fred Joe
1 + - +
2 - - -
3 + - +
4 + + -
5 + + +
6 - - +
7 + + +
8 - - +
9 + - -
10 - + -
Percentage of + 60% 40% 60%

How to Use Measures as Feedback

28
• Graph and post performance data
Measurement
Measurement

• Conduct individual reviews of data

• Provide the data during team meetings

• Utilize measurement to leverage opportunities to provide

positive feedback

• Enable others to see progress of achieving subgoals toward the

results target

 2002 CLG
PBL Participant Toolbook

How to Provide Consequences

One of the things very skilled leaders do is provide consequences
for behaviors, as well as results. Use the following guidelines for
providing consequences for both behaviors and results.

BEHAVIOR RESULTS CONSEQUENCE TO PROVIDE

+ + Reinforce the behavior and compliment the
(desired (desired results.
behavior) result) “I noticed you doing X, and that has had a
positive impact on Y.”
+ – Reinforce the behavior and keep an eye on
(desired (undesired results.
behavior) result) “I appreciate you doing X—it’s important to
keep doing that.”
– + Influence behavior to ensure the right behaviors
(undesired (desired are leading to the results.
behavior) result) “I see the results are at Y level. I’d really like to
see you doing more of X than Z to get those
results. What’s your perspective?” 29
– – Problem solve to influence the right behaviors

Measurement
(undesired (undesired that are linked to results.
behavior) result) “I’ve noticed results in Y haven’t reached the
level we targeted. I’d like to work with you to
identify some things you might do to impact
those results.”

 2002 CLG