We noticed our team has started optimization-hacking our leading indicators. They hit their weekly outbound call and ticket-resolution numbers out of the park, but our actual pipeline and customer satisfaction are stagnant. How do we stop our team from gaming our scorecard?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When people start gaming your scorecard, it is a sign that your metrics are isolated rather than balanced. Humans naturally optimize for what is measured, especially if their performance evaluations are tied to those targets. If you only measure quantity, you will get high volume and low quality. To stop this behavior, you must pair your volume metrics with quality or efficiency counter-metrics. For instance, do not just track weekly customer service tickets resolved. Pair it with customer satisfaction scores or the percentage of tickets reopened within forty-eight hours. If you track sales calls, pair it with the percentage of calls that advance to a qualified meeting. This prevents team members from taking shortcuts to keep their numbers green. Additionally, look at the collective personality traits on your team. Explorer or Quick Start personalities naturally look for the fastest path to achieve a goal and might bypass process steps if the scorecard rewards pure speed. Use your Level 10 Meeting to run the IDS process on these gaming patterns. Do not treat it as a disciplinary issue; treat it as a system design flaw. Explain to the team that a green metric is meaningless if it does not move the business forward. Update the measurables to reflect the true business outcome you need, ensuring your leading indicators are structurally locked to your actual revenue and quality goals.