Summary : Any project must have KPIs. At first sight, defining indicators is an easy things but observation shows that it’s the contrary, most of all when it’s about a new field that is still being explored. But the problem with wrong KPIs is that, in addition to measuring the wrong things, may bring the project off the road, make success look like failure and failure like success. If anyone can find lots of indicator, the common misunderstanding is about their “Key” nature. An indicator is not key because of the importance of the project, the ego of the project manager or even because it’s an indicator. It’s key because it’s linked to the corporate project, because it makes and gives sense and because it proves an actual progress.
One can’t manage what one can’t measure and once one has invested anything in something it’s logical to try to know what came in return. Considering these wise words, organization add KPIs to all projects. Social and 2.0 ones are not exceptions. I know that many people says that, in this field, believing is enough but if faith can be helpful to start things it seldom helps to find one’s way along the path.
At first sight there’s nothing easier than setting indicators, most of all when organizations have the habit of measuring everything that’s measurable and build dashboards that look like we can be found in a plane cockpit. The result is known ; no one understands them. Setting relevant indicators in a new field, where experience often lacks is a real challenge.
So let’s consider each point of the question, the one after the other.
• Indicator : everybody knows what an indicator. Anything that can be measured, evaluated, assessed is an indicator.
• Performance indicator : knowing that measuring everything causes nothing but confusion, it’s logical to select indicators that focus on performance. Should it be about the overall performance of the performance of the project ? I think the right choice is the second one, because of what follows.
• Key Performance Indicator : there’s a lot to say here. There’s few consensus and understanding on what ky means, what can lead to horrendous mistakes. [Read more...]
You can find the "original" french version of this blog here
