We suspect our department heads are sandbagging by keeping their weekly Scorecard targets incredibly low so they are always green, even though our company's overall growth has plateaued. How do we identify sandbagged targets and systematically adjust them without destroying our team's morale or trust?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Sandbagging occurs when leadership team members set easily achievable targets for their weekly Scorecard metrics. While having a completely green Scorecard feels comfortable, keeping targets artificially low hides underlying issues and stalls your company's growth. If a metric has been green for twenty-six consecutive weeks but your overall revenue is flat, you have a sandbagging problem.

To address this, the Integrator must lead an open, honest discussion during your next quarterly session. Review each Scorecard metric and ask the owner whether the current target genuinely pushes the business forward or simply guarantees personal safety.

Once you identify sandbagged targets, systematically raise the bar. For example, if your sales lead has achieved their target of fifteen outbound calls every week without fail, raise the target to twenty-five or transition the metric to measure booked appointments instead.

Emphasize to your team that a red number is not a failure, it is an early warning system. Red numbers help you identify and solve issues in your Level 10 Meeting before they become operational emergencies. Shifting your culture to view red numbers as opportunities, rather than indictments of personal performance, is the only way to build a high performance leadership team.