Lead and Lag Measures

A couple things to say before we get too far into the article this week. No matter how many times I have heard the phrase "lead and lag measures" I still get them confused. So, if you finish this article and you still can't remember which is which, you are not alone! So, what are lead and lag measures? A lag measure tells me if I have hit the goal I wanted to achieve. I set out to lose 15lbs, I get on the scale it tells me I lost 17lbs. I achieved my lag measure. A lead measure tells me that if I keep doing what I am doing I should or shouldn't hit my goal. If I was trying to lose 15lbs and every day for the last month I have had 10 bottles of water and worked out, the lead measures of water and working out are saying that I should lose my 15lbs by my goal date. So why is all of this important? I believe it's important for two big reasons. The first is accountability on a daily basis. Most of us have somewhat of a game plan when we start our day. Even if that plan is a to do list written on a scrap of paper, it's a plan. We have 2-3 things that we are saying are super important to get done. Then the day starts and somehow, it's close to the end of the day and we are nowhere close to finishing those 2-3 things. So, what do we do? We have two choices, stay late or push it off till tomorrow. We have to realize that both options are unhealthy. I have to be accountable for getting those 2-3 things done every day. The second reason, those little things are part of a bigger thing that I want to accomplish down the road. Every day that I delay my priorities, I'm pushing what I truly want down the road at least one more day. If my goal is to lose weight, every time I don't work out or drink my water, I am staying unhealthy. 

So how can I use this is my daily life at work or at home? Let's start with work, and let's say my goal is to increase production by 15% in the next three months. The lag measure will happen in three months when I compare today's number with the same number in three months. It's a very specific goal and it has a specific due date. So now my choices are to walk away, and then check back in three months later or, I can decide what steps I am going to take to hit my target. Let's say I decide that five key factors should help me accomplish my goal.  I might say that one of them is making sure they have the tools they need for the job before the start of the shift. Another might be making sure that everyone starts up right away. The others could be, not taking long breaks, having someone available to help and the final one might be making sure that every day we give everyone a goal on how much to complete. So now I make a chart and every single day I keep track of my five key factors. History shows us that if 85% of the time I hit my target in those five areas, at the end of three months even if I never looked at my overall number, my production should have increased by at least 15%. 

What about at home? Let's say that by the end of the summer, I want my basement, garage and yard all cleaned up. Today is July 3rd, and I want it all done by September 3rd. Again, I have my goal and I have my specific due date. My lag measure is everything is cleaned up. So, what are my lead measures? Let's say it's something simple like if I spend 30 minutes every day in these areas, I will have it completed. That means that in the next two months if I hit my goal of 30 minutes a day, 85% of the time, everything will all be cleaned up by September 3rd. 

It's always good to have specific goals. But we have to track what we are doing and have a game plan. We have to check in on a daily or weekly basis. I challenge everyone to think of a goal for themselves and see if you can accomplish it by using lead and lag measures.