Tracking Progress: Benchmarking or Pre-Test/Post-Test?

When you’re dealing with change—whether it’s a new project, team shifts, or personal growth—how do you know if you’re on the right track? 🤔

In both personal development and business, measuring success is crucial. But how do you figure out if what you’re doing is actually working? The answer often comes down to two simple options: 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 or 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.

1️⃣ 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 – External Comparison

Benchmarking is like checking the scoreboard. It’s about comparing your performance to others—whether it’s how your company stacks up against the competition, how you measure up to industry standards, or how your team performs compared to others. It’s all about knowing where you stand. 🎯

2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁/𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 – Internal Comparison

On the flip side, pre-test/post-test is about looking at where you started and how far you’ve come after making some changes. It’s all about measuring progress within yourself or your team over time. 📈

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀

🔍 For example, in a situation like mine, where my team is helping a department to navigate policy changes with no clear path, pre-test/post-test is a great way to track internal progress and measure the impact of what we’re doing.

📊 On the other hand, if you’re in a competitive setting, benchmarking helps you see where you stand compared to others, setting clear goals and benchmarks to work towards.

𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲?

Sometimes, it’s best to use both! Track internal progress with pre-test/post-test and set external goals with benchmarking.

As you tackle your next challenge, ask yourself: 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘖𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴?