Viewing entries tagged
healthy measurement

QPPE Metrics Model – A Measured Reaction

2 Comments

QPPE Metrics Model – A Measured Reaction

First of all, it’s been far too long for me writing something about metrics. It’s one of those topics in the agile community that keeps on giving ;-) 

But I’ve been inspired (yet again) by an article that Anthony Crain wrote a while back on the topic. He introduced it as his QPPE Metrics Model, where:

Q – represents Quality,

P – represents Predictability,

P – represents Productivity, and

E – represents Engagement.

You can find the article here –

https://techbeacon.com/how-software-teams-can-measure-anything-qppe-metrics-model

I shared this article with my friend and colleague, Shaun Bradshaw. I’ve known Shaun for the better part of two decades and he’s my go-to guy when it comes to all thing’s metrics related. Here’s his initial reaction to the QPPE post:

2 Comments

Employee Engagement AND Measurement

1 Comment

Employee Engagement AND Measurement

I had to share this post because I think it hits on two pet peeves of mine.

First, instead of trying to measure employee engagement (morale, happiness, etc.) leaders should instead have face-to-face conversations with their teams to determine it.

We’ve sort of forgotten that old strategy of (management by walking around) which is STILL incredibly effective.

And second, it provides a sound reminder to be careful as to what you try and measure. 

In my perfect world, leaders would only measure a handful of things (1-5) that were both qualitative and quantitative. Then stay laser-focused on guiding the organization by them.

Stay agile my friends,

Bob.

1 Comment

Measuring Product Ownership – What does “Good” look like?

1 Comment

Measuring Product Ownership – What does “Good” look like?

In 2009 I first published Scrum Product Ownership. In 2013, I followed it up with a second edition. The book has been a popular read for those who are looking for a solid overview of what it takes to be a competent and craft-focused Product Owner.

Here’s what a new Product Owner from Spotify had to say about the book:

“I was recommended your book “Scrum Product Ownership - Balancing Value from the Inside Out” by senior colleagues at Spotify as the one book to read when new to product owning. After recently finishing reading it, I fully agree and will keep recommending your book to anyone getting started as a product owner.

I just wanted to say thank you for making the start of the ride less bumpy and for great advice that I will keep returning to as I gain experience.”

I share this because it helps to set the stage for this article and where my inspiration lies.

1 Comment

The Agile Project Manager—The ‘Essence’ of Agile Metrics

I’ve been struggling for quite some time figuring out the “essence of” agile metrics. What are good ones versus bad ones? Are there related sets that are relevant and how many are needed? And how much change do we need to make from our traditional metrics thinking towards agile metrics?

One thing I have discovered is that metrics need to be “different” in an agile organization or culture. Traditional measures don’t seem to work within agile teams—as I’ve often seen them to cause dysfunction (more on that later).

Another thought I’ve had is whether they should represent a trailing indicator or a leading indicator? Meaning should we measure the processes (at the beginning or leading edge) or should we more so focus on the results & learning (at the end or from the trailing edge)? I’ll explore this more next.

Leading vs. Trailing Indicators

I think of measuring estimate accuracy (estimate + actual) as a leading indicator. Why is that since you measure actuals at the end of your work?