Win the Mile 

We have a friend who’s a long-distance runner. She runs for fun and fitness, but she takes her mileage seriously. She’s been competitive in marathons and events like the Fight for Air Climb, where hundreds of lung health advocates, elite athletes, corporate leaders, and firefighters and law enforcement members race up 734 stairs to the top of the Bank of America Tower in downtown Jacksonville.  

She, and other serious runners, focus on short-term goals instead of on the end result. One of our friends tells herself to “win the mile,” meaning hit her goal for each individual mile, rather than worrying about her final time. The emphasis on the short term keeps her motivated and gives her a fresh start every five minutes or so. If you meet or exceed your individual mile goals, you’ll inevitably improve your overall time. 

The Quarter vs. The Month: A Paradigm Shift  

Rich did some consulting for a manufacturing firm whose owner was sure the company could be more profitable. But he had no idea about how to get there. There wasn’t anything wrong, per se; the workers were always busy, and their customers got what they needed, but every year, it felt like they could have, and should have, had a better year. 

When Rich did a deep dive, he discovered something that explained the issue. Progress and incentives were measured by the quarter, which seemed logical enough. But three months is a long time for workers who did repetitive work on a daily basis to stay focused on goals.  

When an order came in at the end of the month, workers often let it lag into the next month. “It will be there waiting on Monday,” they reasoned. It would show up in the quarterly productivity data, so there was no sense of urgency about it. (Except, perhaps, four times a year.)  

Enter: “Win the Month” 

Rich thought the answer to getting more productivity might lie in setting shorter goals. So he developed a theme he called “Win the Month.” The company restructured their productivity goals, incentives, even attendance awards, to be measured monthly instead of quarterly. Suddenly, chances to “win,” beat their own goals, or slip past a high-performing teammate, came quicker. You had three chances to win during the quarter instead of one. 

The workers became excited and more motivated. Each monthly “win,” whether for productivity, quality, or attendance, entered the employee into a small monthly pool and then also into a larger drawing which awarded a lucky winner $1000. The more months you “won” meant the more entries you had in the $1000 drawing. “Winning the month” meant a chance to win big.  

The company created some banners, tshirts, and other reminders that helped remind the team of their goals. They created excitement around the theme that helped turn mundane tasks into milestones. 

The Ripple Effect 

Over the course of the first six months, productivity (and by extension, profitability), improved by 30 percent. And that $1000? It symbolized more than money—it represented a culture of achievement, teamwork, and continuous improvement. 

So, whether you’re racing up 734 stairs or navigating the corporate ladder, remember: sometimes, winning with a theme is the key to winning big.