Practice
Doing it
A target set without knowing current performance is a guess, and nobody can tell which kind until it is too late.
Baselines Before Targets
A target set without knowing current performance is a guess. Establishing the baseline takes weeks and prevents years of argument.
Setting a Target That Is Not a Guess
Where the number should come from, what makes a target harmful, and the alternative that frequently works better.
Running a Measurement Pilot
Testing a measure on one team before rolling it out finds the problems while they are still cheap to fix.
Reviewing a Measure and Retiring It
Measures accumulate because removing one requires a decision and keeping it requires nothing. The review that fixes that.
Reporting Upward Without Overclaiming
What an executive audience needs from a productivity report, and the claims that will not survive a question.
Dashboards: What to Put on One
Most dashboards contain everything available and are read by nobody. What belongs on one, and what belongs in a drawer.
Telling Teams What Is Measured and Why
Measurement that is explained is tolerated and stays accurate. Measurement that is not gets managed instead.