Progress-Over-Performance Metric
Judge potential by the slope of improvement, not the starting score
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 95%
Measure development as distance traveled rather than treating each result as a verdict on ability. Establish a baseline, repeat comparable attempts, and track the slope of improvement across time. This shifts attention from the current score to learning velocity: how quickly a person identifies gaps, absorbs coaching, and advances. Performance still matters, but it becomes a snapshot inside a longer trajectory rather than proof of fixed potential. The mechanism also changes behavior. If people are judged only by immediate outcomes, they avoid difficult tasks that threaten their record; when progress counts, stretching becomes rational because even an imperfect attempt can demonstrate growth. The metric is especially useful early in skill development, when starting advantages and prior opportunity distort raw comparisons.
Origin
After Grant failed Harvard's writing test, his teacher praised the distance he traveled rather than calling him naturally brilliant; he later applied that lesson to writing and public speaking.
Core principles
- 01Starting points poorly predict eventual potential
- 02Improvement rate reveals learning capacity
- 03Performance-only measures discourage stretching
- 04Distance traveled deserves recognition
How to run it
- 1
Capture the starting point
Record an honest baseline on a defined task before substantial coaching or practice. Preserve the artifact or score for later comparison.
Pro tip Use a task that can be repeated under reasonably similar conditions.
Watch out Do not interpret the baseline as a forecast of the ceiling.
- 2
Stretch beyond current strengths
Choose practice that requires a skill you have not mastered rather than protecting performance on familiar work. Accept that the initial result may be weak.
Watch out Performance-only incentives can quietly push you back toward easy tasks.
- 3
Measure comparable attempts
Collect scores, artifacts, or observations over multiple attempts. Compare each result with both the baseline and the previous attempt.
Pro tip Track process changes alongside outcomes to learn what caused improvement.
Watch out One unusually good or bad result does not define the trend.
- 4
Evaluate the slope
Judge progress by the rate and consistency of improvement, not merely the latest absolute score. Look for evidence that learning is compounding.
Pro tip Recognize 'most improved' as a serious signal of potential.
Watch out Progress does not remove the need to eventually meet real performance standards.
- 5
Adjust the learning system
When the slope flattens, change practice, coaching, or challenge level. Continue measuring to see whether the adjustment restores progress.
Watch out Repeating the same method harder may reinforce a plateau.
In the wild
Grant failed Harvard's initial writing test and nearly treated it as proof that he could not write. He asked strong writers to score drafts and advise him, worked on structure, and earned the only A in his class by semester's end. His teacher emphasized how far he had traveled.
→ Tracking improvement revealed potential that the starting result concealed.
A new speaker records a first talk, then gives five more while tracking clarity, audience comprehension, and recovery from mistakes. The latest score remains below an expert's, but each attempt improves sharply, justifying continued investment.
→ The improvement slope guides development without pretending current performance is sufficient.
Common mistakes
Comparing different starting lines
Raw scores can reflect prior opportunity, so compare a learner with their own baseline before comparing them with others.
Ignoring absolute requirements
Progress is meaningful, but some roles and tasks still require a current competence threshold.
Rewarding activity instead of progress
Time spent and attempts made are not substitutes for measurable improvement in the target skill.
Is it for you?
Best for
Learners, teachers, coaches, and managers evaluating growth in a developing skill.
Not ideal for
Final selection decisions where current competence must meet an immediate non-negotiable threshold.
From the transcript
“too many people Define their success by performance when they should be defining it by progress”
“the progress metric allows us to say I'm I'm looking at um the slope of my Improvement”
“in the long run I will bet on the person who wins the most improved award over the person who who wins the Superstar award”
From the episode
Adam Grant: Top Organizational Psychologist Explains How to Discover Your Hidden Potential in 2024
Adam Grant