Michael replies: A good idea. Be careful, though, that they don’t get left lying around where kids, crooks, the insane or the untrained can get at them.

However, properly applied metrics (as you said, for inquiry) can be useful. The most important rule of using metrics is that the benefit gained be greater than the effort to obtain them. And that doesn’t mean elevating the perceived importance of the metrics, as is so often the case, especially if they have pretty charts and animated powerpoint, that besides the presentation time, takes an hour away from each worker.

Useful metrics cannot intrude, or else there’s also the chance of an uncertainty prinicpal that the observation influences the outcome, whether it be through lost productivity, morale, or gaming the system.

While I agree with the main position here, I disagree about one perspective. There are no bogus measurements, only bogus interpretation of those measurements. We humans have a tendency to force meaning on everything, including measurements, where they do not exist. I do agree if a metric does not reveal interesting information it should be set aside. I also agree that we should not spend too much time gathering statistics. Measurements should be a way to point toward areas of interest and allow us to form ideas about our area of study.

My employer recently started a Quality program here. I will be sharing this article with many of my colleagues.