Most of us have been involved in some sort of organization that used quantitative performance criteria. Here are three examples.

1. Assault helicopter company: Not Mission Capable (NMC) rate. This was the percent of the company's aircraft that were not fully mission ready because of unperformed maintenance, missing parts, etc.

2. Traffic tickets issued per shift: This is a quota used by a handful of poorly-managed police departments.
Customer wait time: In a fast-food restaurant, the number of seconds between receiving a customer order (typing it into the register), and finishing the transaction (receiving payment and issuing the receipt).

3. Have you ever been a part of such an organization? Describe it. Describe the performance criteria that were in place. Were they closely monitored? Did they matter? Why or why not? (If you have not been a part of such an organization, feel free to tap into the experiences of a friend or family member who has.)