Our team is hitting their scorecard targets every week, but we discovered they are gaming the numbers by sandbagging goals or rushing through tasks. How do we protect our weekly scorecard from being manipulated?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When employees begin gaming their metrics, it is usually a sign that your culture treats the scorecard as a weapon rather than a tool for self-management. If people fear punishment for a red number, they will naturally sandbag their targets or rush through tasks to make the data look good, destroying your operational integrity.

To stop this manipulation, you must change how you react to red numbers in your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. A red number is not a failure. It is simply an early warning sign that a system or process needs attention. When a metric is missed, your response should be to identify the root cause and solve the issue, not to blame the person.

Additionally, you must pair quantity metrics with quality metrics on your scorecard to prevent employees from rushing. If your customer service team is measured solely on the number of tickets closed, they will close tickets prematurely. To counter this, pair that metric with customer satisfaction scores or ticket reopen rates.

Review your scorecard targets quarterly during your EOS® meetings. If a target is consistently hit with zero effort, it is time to raise the bar. Keep the focus on using data to clear the fog, ensuring your numbers accurately reflect the health of your business operations.