How to measure what matters
What I learned
What you measure matters. The most important way to spent your time is to figure out what’s the most important way to spend your time.
We don’t spend enough time thinking and rethinking what success looks like. Too often we accept the existing narrative, whether that’s what those around us are saying/doing or a solution we stumbled on and now think is the only possible path forward.
In the product consulting and coaching I do, most of my time ends up spent helping teams rethink how they measure success. If you aren’t focused on the right measure, it’s easy to waste time (I build a simple calculator based on the research that the average team wastes 30% of their time due to poor prioritization).
Some measurements frameworks I use in my work that help determine what success looks like:
For measuring what matters beyond work I’ve found the best tools to use are taking time to sit, think, and write things down, as well as in-depth conversations with friends and family. Time to reflect is one of those import, nonurgent tasks.
All measurement comes down to asking questions. The better questions you ask (and the more you question initial assumptions), the more likely you’ll identify meaningful measures that drive real success.
Some of my favorite questions about success include:
What does wild success look like?
If money weren’t an option, what would you do?
Why do you want to create that?
Who could you talk to that would increase the likelihood of that working?
Have you written that down?
What I published
How you can overcome fear of failure (Article)
What have you been learning about?
Ryan
Check out past editions