We have been spending a lot of time this year choosing metrics, setting goals for those measurements and analyzing the results. Metrics have been in place and existed within our organization for a long time, but not to this level of emphasis.

Our outlook so far has been mostly around the analysis.  The perception was that this is where the value lies.  Tracking the metric is nice, but knowing what it means and having action steps to improve the metric result is what will make the difference.  As such, most of the discussion of metrics has been about the result and the analysis.  We have created a huge packet that usually runs about 40 pages of graphs and analysis.  We have whole meetings set just around discussion of the analysis.

I would argue that measurement and analysis is indeed valuable, but that it not where value is created.  Value is created by what we do with the analysis.  It is the execution of the actions that improve the measurement that actually generate results.  There is a big difference between knowing what to do and doing it.

Our current balance of work around metrics is probably 10% measurement, 10% execution and 80% analysis.  The execution comes either immediately after analysis (the first week or two) or immediately before measurement (the “oh no” moment when we realize we haven’t done anything to improve the measured result).  That means we are only creating a very small amount of value in response to these key metrics.

What if our work balance was 10% measurement, 10% analysis and 80% execution?  That drastically shifts the amount of value created.  This does not mean we are doing less analysis, it simply means we are spending a significantly greater amount of time and focus on executing action items that improve measurement outcomes.  Instead of a quarterly measure-analyze-execute cycle of spending an hour or two measuring results, a few hours analyzing the result and then a minimal amount of time taking action to improve the metric because we were so relieved just to get the analysis done ahead of that reporting meeting, we have a cycle that includes the same amount of measurement and analysis time, but includes weekly action items whose sole intent is to impact metric results.

Since time cannot simply be created from nothing, this will most likely mean that we will realign our time towards actions that impact the key measurables.  That would also imply that we are unknowingly or subconsciously spending a significant amount of our time on things that do not actually matter.  If we are spending our time on things that do not impact the key measurables, we are either measuring the wrong things or working on the wrong things.  Ultimately, if it matters so dang much, it should generate a result someone cares about.  If it is not generating a result someone cares about, then it truly is wasting our precious time. Maybe it shouldn’t be seen as waste, because we are not intentionally wasting it.  Those tasks are consuming our precious resource of time and there are just better uses for it.