Some of our mid-level managers are terrified of having their names next to a red number on the weekly Scorecard. How do we use their StrengthsFinder results to help them overcome this fear and view their Scorecard numbers as tools for growth rather than tools for punishment?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When managers fear having their names associated with a red weekly number, it paralyzes their decision-making. You can overcome this data anxiety by aligning their Scorecard ownership with their StrengthsFinder results.

For instance, if a manager has the responsibility strength, they will feel a deep personal failure when their metric is red. You must reframe the red number as an early warning system that helps them fulfill their responsibility, rather than a mark against their character. If a leader has high analytical strengths, encourage them to look at the red number as an objective puzzle to solve, rather than a subjective failure.

Use your leadership team meetings to model this behavior. When a number is red, praise the owner for their transparency and immediately move the issue to the IDS portion of the Level 10 Meeting. Show your managers that the purpose of the Scorecard is to highlight where the system is failing, not where the individual is failing.

When your team realizes that a red metric is simply a request for resources and support, they will stop hiding bad numbers and start taking true, proactive ownership of their weekly outcomes.