Establishing Benchmarks of Accountability

For most of the 19th century, Americans cared little about their weight. 

Life was different then. People ate what they grew on farms or could afford in their small local grocery stores. There were no jumbo-sized drinks, meals, Uber eats, or drive through windows. There was no processed food, Twinkies, devil dogs, or snacks on the go. 

The day was broken down into three meals, and snacks weren’t a part of the routine, which kept the obesity rate in the U.S. low. 

In this period, doctors and hospitals had scales in their offices for patients; yet, they were rarely used as part of a health evaluation. 

That all changed in 1922 when the Commissioner of Health for Chicago, under the direction of Mayor Big Bill Thompson, had a scale installed in the lobby of City Hall.

Its occupants were encouraged to step on the scales. Word spread quickly, and soon, lines formed outside of City Hall as residents were eager to learn what they weighed. The scale became a tourist attraction and the hottest ticket in town. 

Then, penny scales sprouted at your nearby movie theatre, grocery store, inside train stations and in the local pharmacy. These were big machines, with music playing before and after your weight was measured. 

“Penny Scales Make Millions,” The New York Times declared in 1927, reporting that 40,000 penny scales had profited $5 million the previous year. Americans had stepped onto these scales 500 million times, the paper stated.

And those were just the public ones.

Eventually, scales became part of the American culture on the floor in most bathrooms. Citizens became more health conscious. They wanted to hold themselves accountable by using the scale as a measuring device to monitor any progress. 

We all know scales can be overwhelming when someone is instructed to lose vast amounts of weight. But they can also serve as a benchmark for progress which in turns motivates us to reach our goal. 

Every organization needs some type of scale or monitoring device, not to measure employees’ weights, but rather to check on accountability and set a benchmark for progress. 

Accountability is the cornerstone of any elite culture. There cannot be a winning culture unless everyone from the top down holds each other to the standard. 

Setting benchmarks allows an organization to monitor accountability, assess its culture daily and provide greater motivation. 

When the leader establishes a realistic plan for a set period of time with specific benchmarks to achieve — including the leader — this allows everyone to work toward a goal with a clear understanding they must produce the desired result. 

The leader isn’t asking for the impossible, only to make progress, knowing that the smallest level of success will drive team members to want more. 

Without a benchmark, there isn’t a way to assess problems or pivot to alternative solutions. 

Don’t think of benchmarks as checking on someone’s homework, rather as a way to gain alignment from the top down. When everyone is accountable, the culture forms with a solid foundation. 

Don’t fear the scale. 

Become one of those Chicago citizens waiting to enter City Hall. 

Bestselling author and keynote speaker Michael Bungay Stanier is offering a tremendous training opportunity:

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This week's community insight from The Daily Coach Network on Evaluating Talent highlights the value of exit interviews. They provide a crucial understanding of the organization's state, helping to find the right replacement or address underlying issues.

The Daily Coach Network is a vetted membership community of sports executives, business leaders, and coaches who learn together and support each other to improve their teams' performance. 

Learn more here.

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