The Dark Side of Metrics-Driven Culture
The Dark Side of Metrics-Driven Culture
By Ivan D. Butts
NAPS National President
As we are near the end of NPA FY25 and still await (as of this writing) the first planning meeting for NPA FY26, I want to continue the focus on issues negatively impacting the success the USPS states it wants in the Pay-for-Performance (PFP) system that continues to underwhelm EAS employees as the method for pay raises. Don’t get me wrong, if this strictly was the methodology for EAS employees to receive performance bonuses instead of the method for pay raises, it would be better suited for success.
Setting ambitious performance goals often is seen as a cornerstone of productivity, motivation and success. But beneath the surface of key performance indicators, quotas and stretch targets lurks a troubling truth: The very goals designed to inspire excellence sometimes encourage the opposite.
High-stakes performance goals create an environment where the end often justify the means. Employees under pressure to hit metrics may resort to unethical behaviors or shortcuts that compromise quality, integrity and long-term sustainability.
Falsifying data to meet targets, corner-cutting in safety or compliance to save time or sabotaging co-workers to come out ahead in competitive performance reviews are just a few examples of wrong behaviors being driven by performance goals.
When goals are tied to the only way to receive pay raises, the brain enters what psychologists call a “reward-focused tunnel.” This narrows decision-making, amplifies risk-taking and suppresses ethical reasoning:
- Loss aversion—Fear of missing a target can push people to do whatever it takes.
- Goal fixation—Focus shifts from doing good work to simply checking boxes.
- Social comparison—Employees may compare themselves to peers and feel compelled to “keep up,” even by bending rules.
The USPS has plenty of documents, such as lofty mission statements about ethics, transparency and teamwork. But when performance goals contradict those values, it sends a confusing message: Win at all costs. This misalignment erodes trust in teams and breeds cynicism.
Not all performance goals are bad, but they must be crafted thoughtfully. Let’s look at some of the components of what healthier goal-setting looks like:
- Balancing short-term metrics with long-term learning
- Encouraging collaboration over competition
- Rewarding ethical processes, not just results
- Building flexibility into goals to reflect real-world complexity
It is no doubt that performance goals can sharpen focus and drive progress. But when designed without nuance or empathy, these goals risk turning workplaces into pressure cookers of anxiety, deception and toxic competition. The challenge isn’t to eliminate goals, it’s to reimagine them as tools that serve both excellence and ethics.
If the USPS would like help redesigning goals to inspire better behaviors, NAPS would love to brainstorm with them.
In solidarity …