Metrics – Looking for the WHY

Last week, I had the pleasure of delivering a skill pill on agile metrics at my workplace, AgileDevelopmentCenter Spain (ADC Spain) . The topic is widely discussed and investigated, not only because metrics may measure the progress of a contract, but also because of the inherent human questions:

• How do I know that I am doing a good job? How do we measure the value we bring to a project?
• How does the team know they are doing a good job?
• How does my client understand that my team and I are doing a good job, and what does this mean for them?
• Ultimately, how do my managers know that I am doing a good job—objectively?
• What value do we bring to a project for the end users? What are they most satisfied with?

In the fast pace of agile development, metrics are not just numbers, they provide:

ALIGNMENT

Reflecting on these questions together with the client can lead to valuable insights. It’s as if the metrics are the objective of the conversations, but the real value comes from the discussions themselves.

Aligning on what is relevant at each stage of the project should also lead to implementing the behaviors necessary to fulfill the metrics (whether they are lagging or leading indicators).

In my agile coaching practices, I often return to this basic principle: we may expect certain indicators to be met or to improve, but if we don’t create the necessary conditions, those expectations will remain unmet. Awareness must be created around the necessary behaviors to ensure the metrics are fulfilled.

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CLARITY Through the aforementioned conversations, we achieve clarity. The client may discover the subjectivity of their previous approach or what he called metrics were in fact non-actionable slogans. The discussions themselves may help resolve trust or communication issues and bring to light what truly matters for both sides and the project. This leads to a common understanding of the metrics that bring clarity to all parties involved, including the development team. (Not too many—5-8 metrics at most.)

In the world of tooling, we can easily get lost—just think of agile testing tools, DevOps metrics, or SAFe metrics (which include six metrics solely for measuring flow). There are dozens and dozens of available metrics. The whole team must advise on metrics in order to have the right set that track the relevant work.

Clarity can also motivate the team to surpass the agreed-upon metrics and improve with each sprint.

We become what we measure—both positively and negatively—so it’s important to periodically review whether the relevant metrics are still being measured or is something very important for the product that may be added (for example some extra security metrics developed on the way, after the MVP has been delivered).

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT There is a subjective aspect to continuous improvement, which can still be measured by personal feelings (e.g., psychological safety, trust, atmosphere, etc.), or by very concrete, objective metrics that track progress (e.g., velocity, cycle time, lead time, release frequency). An agile team is recognized for delivering value quickly.

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My key messages during the speech were:

1. Start the conversation(s).
2. The metrics should satisfy both the team and the client, as they navigate in the same direction.
3. Know the metrics that can be used in agile development, even though they aren’t a fixed menu to choose from. The real value lies in point 1 ??. You can then advise based on the project’s current stage and reality, and this will help you create the right set of metrics without losing sight of what’s important or measuring irrelevant factors.

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In my agile coaching practice, I often use leading indicators (which impact established lagging indicators) that highlight where problems might arise, allowing the team to address issues before they negatively affect the metrics. For example, poor evaluations of scrum rituals or time spent in non-team meetings may impact velocity.

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A project dashboard that is visible and accessible to everyone is recommended. It promotes transparency, enables reflection, and supports continuous improvement.

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Who is responsible for driving the metrics conversation?

I warn you, it may be a difficult process, sometimes longer than expected—especially if no one initially mentions the need for metrics. Do you want to operate in a subjective project world or as objectively as possible (even if it exposes vulnerabilities)? In this case, I emphasize the value of transparency, feedback, and continuous improvement, rather than striving for a "perfect" picture that it is hardly a reality.

In my opinion, any agile enabler role can take on this responsibility—whether it's the Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or Engagement Manager.

Spoiler: Obeya rooms for management are a great starting point to drive project metrics.

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Thanks to the participants to the skill pill for entering in deep conversations that helped me write this article (Maria José, Eric, Hector, Daniel, Vicent, Carlota, Roberta, Rabii).

A special thanks to Corrado Palmesi and Santiago Morales Díaz , Jesús Baraza Caparrós who shared their project experience for this skill pill in an ad hoc working group in our agile yard.