Measurement and Friendships

We all have friends. Several types of friends. Some friends pat you on the back all the time. They "like" most of your posts on Facebook. Those friends are important to have. I am that friend to some people. 

But some friends are what I would call real friends. Those friends pat you on the back too. But they also provide constructive criticism when needed. Sometimes we fall off the tracks and need someone to help us get back on the course. They may kindly remind us of our goals when it appears that we're not on track to accomplish them. We also need those real friends.

This analogy relates to measurement. Often times, measurement is asked to be the former friend - the one who pats your back and only celebrates success. I understand. There is a lot of pressure in the world to perform  - specifically to outperform previous efforts. I get that it's important to show momentum, especially when reporting to senior leadership. 

However, I'd suggest that measurement should be looked at more like the latter - the real friend. The one who can congratulate you for your successes and also point out areas for opportunity.

The best measurement solutions, just as your best friends, know what you're hoping to achieve. They provide candid feedback that is authentic to your goals, your limitations (budget, staffing, etc.) and provide suggested realistic recommendations.

When developing a measurement approach, one should first think like a real friend, and avoid (where possible) being that friend who only compliments. In order to come across as an authentic measurement solution, I recommend the following journey.

1. Understand the goals and make sure they are realistic, based on budget, the amount of resources and compare them to what you've seen in other similar efforts.
2. Determine steps along the way to measure performance. One shouldn't only look at the end game when tracking progress. What steps/goals happen along the way that can measure if we're on track or not?
3. Measure regularly. Infrequent and irregular check-points are not helpful. Knowing that performance is going to be measured at key points are important. 
4. Call out successes. Just as you'd want from a friend, a business or client needs to know that the positive work being done has been recognized.
5. Be constructive with recommendations for improvement

Measurement can be and should be for the end benefit. It shouldn't be looked at as an opportunity to judge, just as it shouldn't be used as a "high-five." When used properly, measurement should be an important element that enables a business to perform at high levels.