1.4 PRINCIPLE NUMBER TWO-MEASURING PEOPLE-DON T

---

1.4 PRINCIPLE NUMBER TWO—MEASURING PEOPLE—DON'T!

Measuring the performance of individuals is extremely dangerous. One organization I know of used individual productivity, in terms of functionality divided by effort, as a major determinant of salary increases. While this may appear attractive to some managers, the organization later stated that this was one of the worst mistakes it ever made. Using measurement in this way is counterproductive, divisive and simply ensures that engineers will rig the data they supply.

An associate of mine often says that management has one chance and one chance only. The first time that a manager uses data supplied by an individual against that individual is the last time that the manager will get accurate or true data from that person. The reasoning behind such a statement is simple — employees do not like upsetting the boss!

I do know of one organization that uses Software Metrics to measure individuals and who seem to do this effectively. A single measure is not used, but instead productivity is combined with the quality of the items produced and the environment of the individual is also considered. This information is used to benefit the individual by identifying training needs and ways that the environmental processes can be improved. Essentially, the information is used constructively rather than destructively.

Two points are worth noting about this second organization:

• It has found that individuals with high productivity levels also tend to produce better quality products than individuals with lower productivity; and,

• It is a Japanese organization.

My personal view is that most Western organizations are not mature enough to use the measurement of individuals constructively. Remember that, in the East, measurement is an integral part of life. In Japan, the kyu and dan grades are used to rank or measure many aspects of artistic life. I also believe that the culture in the West is such that any manager should be capable of assessing an individuals worth through knowledge of that individual. A good manager should not need measurement to know if an engineer is pulling his or her weight and it is dangerous to use measurement in this way.

---