Stop counting hours and start measuring impact: A guide to defining the metrics that actually drive professional growth.
Are you tracking movement or direction? Discover how to apply the ‘Measure What Matters’ framework to your personal growth. Learn to distinguish between vanity metrics and true progress indicators.
I once worked for a digital marketing analysis company. I sat in a meeting room with the team. We were looking at a status report that was glowing green. According to the spreadsheet, we were on time and on budget.
Yet, across the table, the team looked exhausted. Morale was low. We fulfilled our tasks, but the service quality felt lacking. We were hitting targets but missing the point. We were measuring activity, not impact.
This scenario played out countless times in my career. It took me years to realise something important. The metrics we choose do not just measure our work. They shape our behaviour. If you measure hours, you risk exhaustion. If you measure impact, you get progress.
Key Takeaways
- True professional growth comes from tracking outcomes (the change you create) rather than outputs (the tasks you complete).
- Adopting ‘Leading Indicators’ gives you predictive control over your success. ‘Lagging Indicators’ only tell you what has already happened.
- You must balance hard data with qualitative checks. This ensures your ladder is leaning against the right wall.
The Treadmill of Modern Work
In the modern workplace, it is easy to confuse movement with direction. I have observed brilliant professionals exhaust themselves. They suffer from ‘productivity paranoia’.
This leads to an obsession with tracking every keystroke. It is a treadmill where you sweat profusely but end up nowhere. This approach kills productivity rather than boosting it.
In Australia, we often wear the ‘busy badge’ with a strange sense of pride. You ask someone how they are, and they say ‘flat chat’. But this busyness is often just a shield. It hides the truth that we might not be achieving anything meaningful.
We manage what we measure. The problem is that most leaders measure the wrong things. To find mental clarity, we must shift from ‘vanity metrics’ that stroke our egos. We need to focus on ‘clarity metrics’ which show us the truth.
Deconstructing the Trap: Outputs vs. Outcomes
The first step is understanding the difference between what you do and what you achieve.
Vanity Metrics (Outputs)
These offer a quick dopamine hit. They make you feel productive in the moment. However, they often signify no real progress.
- Definition: Metrics that measure volume or activity.
- Examples: Reaching ‘Inbox Zero’, the number of meetings attended, or hours spent at a desk.
- The trap: You can send 100 emails and change nothing.
Impact Metrics (Outcomes)
These track actual change or value added. They are harder to measure but tell you if you are actually growing.
- Definition: Metrics that measure the result of your activity.
- Examples: A problem solved, a relationship built, or a skill mastered.
- The shift: Instead of counting cold calls, you count the partnerships secured.
I worked on a project in the education sector. Initially, we tracked success by the number of training sessions run. That was an output.
We soon realised that attending training did not mean people were learning. We shifted to measuring how teachers changed their practice. That was an outcome. This shift fosters meaningful personal growth. It moves away from ticking boxes to creating value.
The ‘Measure What Matters’ Framework for Individuals
You may have heard of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). It is a framework popularised by John Doerr. While often used for companies, I found it incredibly powerful for personal leadership.
Here is how you can apply it to your own growth:
The Objective (The ‘What’)
This is a qualitative, inspirational goal. It should be ambitious and give you a sense of purpose.
- Example: ‘Become a leader who listens first.’
- Example: ‘Develop a reputation for calm under pressure.’
The Key Result (The ‘How’)
These are quantitative, time-bound metrics. They prove the objective has been met. This turns abstract desires into concrete actions.
- Example for listening: ‘Conduct three “stay interviews” with peers this month.’
- Example for calm: ‘Wait three seconds before responding in heated discussions.’
This framework creates accountability for soft skills. It forces you to define what ‘better’ looks like. It helps in mastering emotional self-regulation. You gain a clear scoreboard for your behaviour.
Forecasting Success: Leading vs. Lagging Indicators
Most people track history. They look at the scales to see if they lost weight. They check their bank account to see if they saved money. These are lagging indicators.
The Lagging Indicator Trap
By the time you see the data, it is too late to change the outcome. A quarterly review is a classic lagging indicator. If the feedback is bad, the damage is already done.
The Power of Leading Indicators
Leading indicators are predictive behaviours that are within your control. They influence the future. If you want to change your trajectory, you must focus here.
Practical Examples:
- Lagging: Your team’s burnout rate at the end of the year.
- Leading: Tracking how often you left work on time this week. This models burnout prevention.
- Lagging: A poor relationship with a stakeholder.
- Leading: Sending one weekly update to that stakeholder before they ask.
Shift your focus from wishing for results to executing habits. Focusing on consistent habits creates results. Using feedforward for future growth is a perfect leading indicator. It asks for suggestions on future behaviour rather than critiquing the past.
The Qualitative Data Gap: Measuring the Intangible
Not everything that counts can be counted. I learned this while working with data-heavy organisations. Spreadsheets often miss trust, sentiment, and energy.
To measure your true leadership impact, you need tools for the intangible. This requires dedicated reflective practice:
- Micro-journaling: Use a simple app or notebook. Track your mood and intent daily. Did you lead with curiosity today?
- Sentiment Tracking: Move beyond annual reviews. Ask for quick, continuous feedback.
- Wellbeing KPIs: Track your energy levels alongside your project milestones.
In Australia, we deal with ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. We often suppress self-promotion. Objective data lets you track your growth confidently. It helps in building team trust. You become transparent about your development journey.
Growthenticity: Measuring Alignment Over Achievement
Finally, we must talk about alignment. You can hit every target and still feel empty. This happens if those targets do not align with who you are.
Authentic growth requires measuring whether you are acting according to your values. I call this the ultimate metric.
Reframing Success
Do not measure yourself against external benchmarks like salary or title. Measure yourself against your internal values.
Self-Reflection Check
- If you value ‘family’, does your calendar metric reflect that?
- If you value ‘learning’, how many hours did you dedicate to reading this week?
This is about values alignment. It ensures that as you climb the ladder, you don’t lose yourself. It helps you define your purpose.
Conclusion
True leadership involves transitioning from a ‘doer’ focused on output to a ‘leader’ focused on outcome. It is a difficult shift, but a necessary one.
I encourage you to flip the script. Instead of obsessing over your ‘To-Do’ list, try keeping a ‘Done List’ for a week. Note down the impacts you made, not just the tasks you finished. This builds momentum by celebrating growth milestones.
Identify one ‘Leading Indicator’ or ‘Key Result’ you will start tracking this week. Make it small, make it measurable, and make it matter.
Wrapping Up
Tracking your progress isn’t about rigid surveillance; it is about intentionality. You take control of your professional narrative by distinguishing between busy work and value work. Focus on predictive habits over past mistakes. Stop running on the treadmill. Start moving towards a destination you actually chose.
🌱 Measure What Matters: The Growthenticity Connection
The core ideas explored here resonate with the principles of what I call ‘Growthenticity’:
‘The continuous, integrated process of becoming more oneself (authentic) through leading with questions, learning through action, and growing by embracing uncertainty and imperfection, all fuelled by curiosity.’
When we choose to measure outcomes over outputs, we learn to embrace imperfection. We accept that ‘busy work’ is often a mask for our insecurities. By setting qualitative objectives, we prioritise asking who we want to be. This is more important than just asking what we want to do. It turns the metrics of our work into a tool for authentic self-discovery.
👉 Check out my free and paid Substack offerings at Lead, Learn, Grow. You can further explore concepts like ‘Growthenticity’. You will also gain access to practical tools. Connect with a supportive community focused on authentic growth.
Join us as we unpack these ideas and support each other on our journeys.
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Your Turn
Look at your calendar for the last week. Find one ‘vanity metric’ you spent time on. Can you swap it for an ‘impact metric’ next week?
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