KPIs and Lead Measures

In “The Four Disciplines of Execution”, lead measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play distinct but complementary roles in measuring performance and achieving strategic goals. Here’s how they relate and differ:

Lead Measures

• Focus: Lead measures track the predictive actions and behaviors that directly influence the desired outcome (the lag measure).
• Characteristics:
  • Predictive: They indicate if you’re likely to achieve your goal.
  • Influencable: Teams have direct control over lead measures.
  • Actionable: They provide clear direction for where to focus efforts.
• Example: If your goal is to increase sales revenue (lag measure), a lead measure might be the number of sales calls made or the number of proposals sent out.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Focus: KPIs track the results of your efforts. They measure whether you’ve achieved your goals.
• Characteristics:
  • Outcome-oriented: They reflect the end goal you’re aiming for.
  • Historical: They often report on past performance.
  • Strategic: KPIs are tied to broader organizational objectives.
• Example: Common KPIs include sales revenue, customer satisfaction scores, profit margins, and website traffic.

How They Work Together

Lead measures and KPIs create a powerful system for driving results:

1. Lag Measures (KPIs) Define the Goal: Your lag measures are the overarching KPIs that define what success looks like.
2. Lead Measures Drive Action: Lead measures highlight the specific actions that have the highest impact on achieving those KPIs. They break down your goals into actionable steps.
3. Predicting Success: Since lead measures are predictive, they give you early insights into whether you’re on track to hit your KPIs. This allows for course correction before it’s too late.

Why The 4DX Emphasis on Lead Measures?

Many books focus on KPIs, but “The Four Disciplines of Execution” argues that focusing solely on lag measures can be problematic:

• Lag measures are reactive: They tell you whether you’ve succeeded or failed after the fact, offering limited opportunity for in-progress adjustments.
• Over-focus on results can be demotivating: If teams aren’t hitting their KPIs, they can get discouraged, even if they’re taking the right actions.

By emphasizing lead measures, 4DX encourages teams to focus on the actions within their control that will drive the desired outcome, increasing motivation and accountability.

Business Example:

Here is an example of a sales team:

Lag Measure (KPI): Monthly Sales Revenue

• This KPI signifies the overall goal of the sales team – generating revenue for the business. It’s outcome-oriented and reflects past performance.

Possible Lead Measures:

• Number of sales calls made: This directly influences the opportunity to engage with potential customers and move them through the sales pipeline.
• Number of qualified leads generated: This indicates the success in identifying prospects who fit the target customer profile and have genuine interest.
• Proposal conversion rate: Tracks the percentage of proposals that successfully turn into closed deals, highlighting sales team effectiveness.

How It Works in Practice:

1. Setting the Goal: The sales team sets a target for their monthly sales revenue KPI. The do this by stating what their monthly sales are now (starting line), what monthly sales amount they plan to achieve (finish line), and by what date (deadline).
2. Identifying Lead Measures: They analyze the sales process and determine the key actions that are most likely to impact the monthly sales revenue, at what level they will have to do those action, and who is assigned to each action. These become their lead measures.
3. Tracking Accountability and Adjusting: The team diligently tracks their lead measures throughout the week. They report how well they did compared to the goal. They then commit to what they will do in the coming week and the goal they will attempt to achieve.

Benefits of Focusing on Lead Measures:

• Proactive approach: Lead measures empower the team to take action to influence their results rather than passively waiting for the month-end revenue report.
• Early Feedback: Monitoring lead measures provides insights early in the sales cycle, allowing for timely adjustments to improve the likelihood of achieving the target KPI.
• Team Motivation: Focusing on actions within their control gives the sales team the power to drive success, boosting morale and motivation.