Submitted by timburgan on
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I'm still trawling through the hundreds of podcast, so please forgive me for this question.
Is there a podcast on "how to come up with performance metrics"?
I'm about to take over a software development team because they've lost their way and are being hammered for delivering poor quality outputs and taking a long time to deliver, so I'm looking for some guidance to improve their performance.
First thing will be implementing one-on-ones and the feedback model, which I think will help a phenomenal amount.
However, I've just listened to the Coaching Dilemma podcast where "performance metrics" are mentioned... so that got me thinking that I should jump to some of those podcasts... if I could find them.
Thanks
Tim
I did a search for
I did a search for "Performance Metrics" and didn't see one directly relating to that topic. This might help you get going in the right direction with your thinking at least. Sometimes all you need is some ideas to leap from and get going:
http://www.manager-tools.com/2007/01/member-needs-help-performance-metrics-virtual-brainstorm
But for software it seems like you should have the tools. You likely have a budget and a schedule. Two obvious numbers to compare against right there for the team as a whole. If the company is doing adequate BA work you should have a full list of requirements about what is needed from the solution and approved vs what is outside of the scope, what business need it links up to, and you can track the end results against those. You should basically be given specs for a system before you build it, and you'll have what has been built so far. Do they match?
If not, why not? Are the developers not staying on task? Maybe there's an additional process going on that isn't documented? Or maybe there's not a solid change management plan that accounts for shifting goal posts (change is inevitable) in the schedule, budget, etc. Find and fix that first and foremost.
If so, then the business may not be providing adequate information about what they want, or the BA work is incomplete... because from your perspective they're getting what they asked for. At which point it sounds like you need to look at whatever requirements elicitation is going on and improve things there, or add accountability to the mix. Someone gave you those requirements and signed off on them (hopefully). You're not out to hurt anyone by doing it, but ESP shouldn't be in anyones job description. The business may need reminders that they did, in fact, get what was presented to you.
John and the Gate Guard
It's part three of the "Setting Annual Goals" casts.
--Michael