Measuring the Metrics

by Chuck Westbrook on December 10, 2008

He’s talking about coding, but this applies to customer service on the phone, order times at the drive-thru, sales metrics, and so on. Measure the work. Be careful not to measure the metrics. From ‘Joel on Software’:

The first time your boss comes into your office and gives you grief because it looks like you only did 7 hours of work yesterday, you’re going to make sure that never happens again.

And then, suddenly, behold, the timesheets show everyone working 12 hour days, and all the data in the timesheets becomes instantly bogus….because you’re feeding it data that is meant to get your boss to stop bugging you, not accurate data.

This probably also has some application for those of us who pay attention to our metrics on blogs or Twitter or anywhere else, really. Do you really want comments and followers, or do you want readers and engagement?

****UPDATE****

This cartoon nicely shows the flip side of the coin. Conveniently ignoring metrics altogether is a bad idea as well.

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

1 carma 12.10.08 at 10:57 am: Ok, I admit it. I’ve gotten pretty much hung up on followers and comments as of late! You raise a good point

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2 Kristin T. 12.10.08 at 11:09 am: This is a great way to re-apply Joel’s quote, and a great way to think about this issue. I really do want quality engagement–even when it’s from my mom, one of my blog’s biggest fans and most prolific commenters.

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3 TJ Hirst 12.10.08 at 11:38 am: I’m just starting to learn this - after I approach my first year of blogging. It is so hard to know how to measure if your words have an influence and I think I measure it with numbers too often, but how else can I know, “Is this worth my time?”

I’m discovering new measuring sticks internally that can’t really be defined. Evaluation of success is difficult across all areas of life - work, relationships, personal growth, parenthood and of course the Internet.

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4 Ryan 12.10.08 at 11:39 am: I just want to become filthy rich by whatever means necessary. Comments, readers, engagement–220, 221, whatever it takes.

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5 Ginger 12.10.08 at 3:46 pm: Worrying about metrics is a great way to stress yourself out. Do you need to be aware of them? Yes. But numbers aren’t the be all end all. Of course, it’s hard to get engagement if no one’s coming by, so it’s a balancing act.

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6 Ginger 05.16.09 at 1:39 pm: Worrying about metrics is a great way to stress yourself out. Do you need to be aware of them? Yes. But numbers aren't the be all end all. Of course, it's hard to get engagement if no one's coming by, so it's a balancing act.

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