Using a Personal Check Sheet

 

It is a known fact that if you want to accomplish something, it helps if you write it down – not just think about it or talk about it.  It is also more likely that the desired result will occur if you gather data about what you are interested in.   Let’s assume that you want to enhance or eliminate some personal or job-performance trait.

 

A cool way to approach this is to develop a personal check sheet.  You have to write down what you are interested in accomplishing, and you can systematically gather data on an on-going basis.

 

Here is a sample list of improvement ideas others have tried.

§         Return all calls within 24 hours

§         Answer all questions within five business days

§         Avoid chocolate

§         Answer the phone in two rings

§         Make it to meetings on time.

§         End meetings on time

§         Get to work on time

§         Reduce time searching for lost or misplaced items

§         Eliminate dialing wrong phone numbers

§         Meet target dates

§         Eliminate typos

§         Listen carefully

§         Get regular physical exercise

§         Don’t interrupt others

§         Stop procrastinating

§         Avoid speeding in my car

§         Drink in moderation

§         Do something good for someone else everyday

§         Eat meals with my family

§         Stop making cell phone calls while driving

§         Being negative instead of positive

 

Along with deciding what you want to accomplish, you need to operationally define what and how you are going to measure it.  Below is a sample check sheet with the operational definitions.

 

Personal Improvement Check Sheet Week of______________
Item	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
1. Misdial phone number
2. Forget a name
3. Inefficiency resulting from not planning ahead
4. Search for something lost or misplaced

 

Operational Definitions:

1. Anytime a number must be redialed because of a mistake.
2. Following introduction to a new person, forget his or her name almost immediately.
3. Having to make several trips when one would do.  Having all the materials needed with you.  Not using the most efficient route.  Forgetting a meeting or task.
4. More than momentary confusion about a location of an important document, book, computer file, etc.

 

So all you have to do once you have set up the check sheet is put tick marks in the appropriate box each time they occur.  Each week you can add across the rows and see how you are doing with each trait.  After you have gathered data for a while, you can actually plot the number of times these things occur each week.  The next step is to brainstorm an idea that you could try that, if successful, will drive the desired behavior.

 

This tool can be used with an employee who is having a particular work behavior problem such as not getting to work on time.  I have tried it with an employee who was having this problem.  It worked.  It took several months, but it did work.  It saved a very good employee.

 

If you are skeptical that this tool will help you improve, the only way you will convince yourself of its usefulness is to try it.  Let me know how it works for you.