Some of our managers are setting incredibly low targets for their weekly scorecard metrics just to ensure their rows stay green. How do we establish high accountability standards without encouraging our team to sandbag their targets?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Sandbagging targets is a common defense mechanism when a leadership team does not yet trust the data process. When managers set targets too low, your scorecard becomes useless as a predictive tool. To solve this, you must change how your organization views red numbers. A red number on a weekly scorecard is not a failure or a reason for punishment. It is simply an early warning sign that requires attention. Teach your team that a green scorecard with flat or declining business growth is a major red flag. Work with each leader to set targets based on the weekly requirements of your V/TO® and your annual goals. For example, if your annual goal requires one million dollars in new sales, calculate backward to find the exact number of weekly proposals required to hit that number. That weekly number becomes the non-negotiable target. If a manager misses their target, use the Level 10 Meeting™ to help them solve the systemic issues holding them back, rather than penalizing them. When your team realizes that red numbers lead to collaborative problem-solving instead of personal blame, they will stop sandbagging and start setting targets that drive true operational growth.