# Measuring Performance By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-08-02 Organizations routinely execute work. Nearly continuously, people are doing something. This work is often intentional. The execution of this work is frequently linked to the organization, its mission, and the attainment of a desired goal. Whereas most work meets these characteristics, organizations do not routinely measure performance related to the execution of that work. Most work is simply executed. If it is done so within established parameters of quality and timeliness, the execution of the work passes with very little fanfare. Executing significant efforts are different. These tasks often require some system to monitor and measure performance. When are such systems adopted? Often projects which are important, costly, and extend over a significant duration require systematic monitoring. Such a system allows the organization to assess current performance against a plan and forecasts when the project will complete and at what cost. Spoiler Alert: Large-scale projects are often behind schedule and over budget. Monitoring execution and measuring performance helps one determine if the revised project, in terms of schedule and cost, is still worth pursuing. A key to measuring performance is the development of a resource-based project schedule. At the core, such a schedule allows one to determine: 1) if the program is executing according to plan, and 2) if not, what, if anything, can be done about it. There might not be easy answers to this. If one is engaged in technological development, one likely can’t move forward until that breakthrough has been achieved. A host of economic and cognitive biases cloud our decision-making. Failure to acknowledge sunk costs and commitment bias are two. Measuring performance is important. It won’t be done for every project, but the approach is invaluable for those that warrant it. It is critical to understand when to use project management and how to implement it. People in the routine of simple execution might not have these skills developed and refined. Simply understanding that this will sometimes be needed is an excellent first step. Once identified, the “how-to” can often be achieved through research and assistance. #### Related Items [[Performance]] [[Goals]] [[Project Management]] [[Organization]] [[Metrics]] [[Systems Thinking]]