KPIs matter when running a business or a race

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HR Team was out in force to cheer on Managing Partner Breda Cullen as she took on the Waterside Half Marathon, posting an impressive personal best.

Not only did Breda eat up the scenic Derry-Londonderry run course much quicker than last year, she completed the 13.2 mile run almost 13 minutes faster than she did in 2014.

It will come as no surprise that Breda didn’t simply turn up on the day to see what happens. Unfortunately for everyone who strives to achieve personal bests in sport that’s not the way it works.

To achieve such improvements in performance – whether you’re an elite athlete or someone who continually aims to raise your own bar – you must start by setting a clear goal.

This is equally true when running a business. If there are no goals, then there can be no concrete planning and that ultimately leads to a business falling short of its potential.  Setting goals – or key performance indicators as they are commonly known-  is a vital factor in good performance management in the workplace.

After Breda crossed the finish line in last year’s Waterside Half Marathon, she promised herself – in much the same way as many others pledged to themselves –  that she’d be faster twelve months  down the line.

With her goal clearly set, she then set about putting in place a plan to achieve that goal and stuck rigidly to that plan on order to achieve her  overall objective. Unsurprisingly, she got the result her hard work deserved.

For a Business to achieve its full potential it is vital that everyone in the operation – from the business owner/manager to the staff members – is acutely aware of the overall key performance indicators or goals of the business and of the full details of the plan put in place to achieve them.

By sticking to a plan, goals will be achieved – as any good marathoner or indeed business leader will tell you.

Legendary Baseball Hall of Fame Yogi Berra summed it up nicely with the following tongue-in-cheek words of wisdom: “If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”

A fine observation and one that should be kept in mind when setting about a task, whether it’s running a half marathon or a business.

It certainly worked for HR Team’s Breda – a big well done to her by the way.

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