The document summarizes a presentation on metrics that matter for managing teams and agencies. It recommends focusing on leading indicators like activity, output, and results. Activity measures work done like hours spent and emails sent. Output tracks if activity is creating desired results like outreach responses. Results measures business metrics like revenue and problems encountered. Catching issues early by monitoring these leading metrics allows time to course correct before significant problems arise. Soft metrics like customer satisfaction also provide important feedback.

1. London | 20–24 Feb, 2012 | #seslondon
Metrics that Matter
Will Critchlow
Distilled
@willcritchlow

2. I’m focusing on managing
teams or agencies
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zilpho/2964153404/

3. Who’s been bawled out for not
getting enough links?
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/localjapantimes/4765784173/

4. Saying “just do it better” isn’t
very helpful
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/huf/3979644185/

5. Step 1: have a plan
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/topekalibrary/3513847230/

6. Side-note – get it signed off
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/speakingoffaith/3514709815/

7. Watch how fast the sausages
come out, sure
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/somisguided/3396167043/

8. But when stuff goes wrong(*)
(*) and stuff will go wrong
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/db0yd13/3085020258/

9. Realise that the metrics that
matter are INPUTS(*)
(*) or the plan was a rubbish
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/somisguided/3396167043/

10. i.e. If the sausages aren’t
coming out fast enough, it’s
this guy’s fault
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/somisguided/3396167043/

11. Here’s how I structure
reporting:
• Activity
• Output
• Results

12. Activity
What have you done?
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/6214677360/

13. Examples:
hours spent, emails sent
(I like toggl.com)

14. Output
How’s the plan going?
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/topekalibrary/3513847230/

15. Is all the activity creating the
desired outputs?
(This is actual outreach data from an email from our head of outreach)
Total Hours Spent As Team: 24.75
Total Sites Reached Out to: 63
Total Responses: 36
Response Rate: 57%
Number of Successes: 18
Rate of Success: 50%

16. Results
How much money have we made?
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5929622407/

17. Get as close to the money as
you can
(that’s really the others’ presentations)
Unique
Source/Medium Revenue
Visitors
google / organic 13,279 $42,910.90
(direct) / (none) 9,487 $18,149.00

18. Oh, and show what’s holding
you up
(excerpt from a real email from a PR company we worked with)
Note: WC provided additional editorial content for BBC online
feature – chasing next steps from journalist
Action: Metro interview to be re-scheduled ASAP – LG
continuing to liaise with journalist
Note: WC provided content for first Bnet feature
Action: WC to provide summary paragraph for end / LG to
forward to journalist – ASAP

19. Discovering problems
(normally):
• Results
• Output
• Activity

20. Fixing problems (always):
• Results
• Output
• Activity

21. You can know things are going
wrong well before you’re
sliding along on your arse
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardk662/3875428370/

22. Focus on leading indicators of
success (or failure)
Picture: http://en.techorange.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Picture-4-425x313.png

23. “Ontrackness”
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcovey/3771680423/

24. Soft metrics:
“Do people like it?”
Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/4892378102/in/photostream/

25. Summary – these are the
metrics that matter (IMO):
• Activity
• Output
• Results

26. Will Critchlow
Founder, Distilled
www.distilled.net
will.critchlow@distilled.net
@willcritchlow