Three Measurement Tactics

In the Continuous Value Delivery form of the Product Operating Model we aspire to outcomes. Quantitative and Qualitative. When you are confronted with an assumption, a hypothesis, or a potential need for a key performance indicator, what are your options?

It was said to me recently “If we measure everything, nothing is important”. This is true if you don’t have a system in place to manage the measures.

Below is a rubric I’ve found useful when I’m at the form in the road and have to answer the question: to measure or not to measure.

• None or Conversational
  • You may measure or you may not. If you do, there will be no SMART thresholds attached
  • The Conversational measures are just that… there to inspire conversation. They are not intended to inspire any other action… at least not yet. They may evolve into…
• Important
  • These measures have a clear “this is good and this is bad” aka a threshold. These represent hypotheses made by the squad.
  • When you are sure you will launch, but you want to establish quantitative insights that will help you determine if an offering is serving you (if you should Keep it, Improve it, or Sunset it)… an Important measure is probably what you want.
  • Important measures should be reviewed at least every other week and are a great source for identifying what the next strategy
• Critical
  • When you are going to take an action based on the results of a SMART threshold
  • When you have a measure so valuable, so indicative of your aspiration or mission, and a clear “this is healthy” threshold, it is a good candidate for a critical measure
  • Critical measures should be treated with the highest level of urgency. If one of these are red three weeks in a row, investigating what is going on takes precedence over everything else.