Don't run with sharp metrics!

There are a thousand metrics floating around and it is difficult to tell what is truly important. Whether you’re the person who is being measured by something that doesn’t quite make sense or the leader that is trying to figure out just how the heck to show to others that her team is successful, there are a lot of questions out there and a lot of people that are just feeling injured by metrics.
Julia Wester will share examples of good and bad techniques for using data when coaching teams. Come, listen and learn how to avoid the pitfalls of managing by numbers, including how to identify and avoid vanity metrics, how to choose metrics that drive desired behaviors, and ways to visualize balanced team metrics that enable continuous improvement.

Transcript

1. Don’t run with
   sharp metrics
   @everydaykanban
   Julia Wester
   Improvement Coach
   @everydaykanban
   

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2. @everydaykanban
   A bit about me…
   

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3. @everydaykanban
   Why do we
   gather
   metrics?
   

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4. @everydaykanban
   Three types
   of business
   analytics
   Descriptive
   What has
   happened?
   Predictive
   What might
   happen?
   Prescriptive
   What should
   happen?
   

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5. What you measure shows what
   you value…
   @everydaykanban
   

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6. @everydaykanban
   Are you
   running with
   sharp metrics?
   

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7. @everydaykanban
   Common Metrics Mistakes
   Making Metrics Safe
   Example from the Field
   

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8. Diagnosing with
   metrics before
   defining your goal
   @everydaykanban
   

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9. @everydaykanban
   1 2 3
   Define goals Gather
   metrics
   Develop
   Strategy
   Necessary order of operation
   

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10. @everydaykanban
    Measuring everything obscures what
    is truly important
    

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11. Fooling
    yourself with
    vanity
    metrics
    @everydaykanban
    I sure do
    get a lot
    done!
    I add so
    much
    value!
    

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12. @everydaykanban
    Don’t confuse
    activity with progress
    

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13. @everydaykanban
    Thinking shame will produce desired behaviors
    

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14. @everydaykanban
    Too many good people are
    punished for bad systems.
    

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15. Lacking awareness of the wider picture
    @everydaykanban
    Pictures from “Re-Zoom” by Istvan Banyai
    

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16. Treating metrics like targets
    @everydaykanban
    The goal is
    95%, no
    matter what
    

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17. “If you give a manager a
    target, he will meet it,
    even if he has to destroy
    the organization to do
    so.”
    @everydaykanban
    Dr. W. Edwards
    Deming
    

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18. @everydaykanban
    Common Metrics Mistakes
    Making Metrics Safe
    Example from the Field
    

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19. @everydaykanban
    KNOW YOUR
    

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20. Translate the goal to metrics
    @everydaykanban
    Goal Questions Metrics
    

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21. Does it:
    • matter to my customer?
    • help me make a decision or
    take action?
    Subject each metric to the
    “So What?” test
    @everydaykanban
    

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22. Understand how
    each metric can
    be gamed
    @everydaykanban
    

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23. Involve your team to
    get a wider
    perspective
    @everydaykanban
    Is the reward
    worth the risk?
    What is the
    impact?
    How can you
    game it?
    

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24. @everydaykanban
    Throw out
    expired
    metrics that
    aren’t driving
    change
    

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25. Keep a
    balanced
    metrics
    inventory
    @everydaykanban
    Source: Larry Maccherone
    

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26. @everydaykanban
    Don’t be afraid to make trade-
    offs in order to maintain balance
    

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27. @everydaykanban
    Common Metrics Mistakes
    Making Metrics Safe
    Example from the Field
    

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28. @everydaykanban
    Real-world
    example of
    balanced metrics
    DO IT FAST DO IT RIGHT
    DO IT ON TIME KEEP DOING IT
    - Open vs Closed Trends
    - Cycle Time Trends
    - Incidents by application
    Trends
    - Customer Satisfaction
    - % of SLA Breaches for the
    QTR + Trend
    - Ongoing project progress
    - Team happiness
    (subjective wellbeing)
    - QoQ trends used for all
    metrics (in all quads)
    

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29. Your set of metrics should fit your unique context and problems.
    No one has the perfect set of metrics that blindly apply to all teams.
    @everydaykanban
    

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30. Takeaways
    @everydaykanban
    § Map your metrics to goals using questions
    § Understand the risk of each metric
    § Get rid of expired metrics
    § Keep everything in balance
    § Don’t use anyone else’s prescription
    

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31. Download these slides at
    http://tiny.cc/julia-devops-slc-16
    @everydaykanban
    Julia Wester
    @everydaykanban
    www.everydaykanban.com
    

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