A few years ago my husband Bill and I purchased Fitbits. We both set an intention of walking 10,000 steps each day assuming it would improve our health.

For me, it was an idea to consider and it would help to enhance my overall fitness level. To Bill, it was a life commitment which he took very seriously. If the clock struck 9:00 pm and Bill had not achieved the 10,000 steps goal, he went outside in suffocating heat or snow and ice and took a walk. On days when my calendar looked hectic, if I thought I might fall short of the goal, I handed my Fitbit to our daughter Katie and asked her if she would “just bring it along” as she trained with her cross country team.

When Katie wasn’t available, as a last ditch effort, I took out a brownie mix and started stirring. Do you know how many “steps” are recorded when mixing brownies?

Seeing the absurdity in our different approaches, Katie used the content for an English assignment: Deliver a 3 Minute Humorous Speech. Katie spoke on“Does Fitbit cause divorce?”

What I have noticed is that the “Fitbit Principle” extends to our work and to our organizations. What we track and measure improves. It’s so basic!

In our work at Concordia, we are often approached to solve people problems. While many in the organization can cite the problems and the negative impact on the company, we are often asked to start immediately. It’s great when we have data to start with!

And now we do!

One of our government clients hired us to do a change management project. Our task was to improve the scores on the Employee Viewpoint Survey. We designed a comprehensive program that built upon the work that had already been performed. We started with focus groups. Next we conducted leadership visioning, leadership training, employee training, and coaching meetings.

The results were astonishing. Across all indicators but one, there was improvement. With the one that didn’t improve, it held steady.

Interestingly, the Fitbit has been a tool that has improved my husband Bill’s and my fitness levels. Also, we didn’t start at the same level, so we have different data points. In both cases there was an increase and consistent improvement.

If you want to improve your workplace, begin with a benchmark. Conduct surveys and focus groups, and obtain data — then follow with a strategic plan. I am curious: What do you have in place to track and measure your goals – both personal and professional?