Blinded by the dashboard lights

Most projects include the same basic collection of performance metrics. They comprise of the usual triple constraints; schedule, cost, and scope. However so, projects will likely include other non-typical performance metrics too. These metrics are often unique. As such, it is left up to the project leader to translate their performance for reporting out to the dashboard.

Translating performance requires an understanding of the message inferred by each dashboard status indicator. Let’s consider a four colour traffic light scale comprised of Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red. In this scale, Blue represents the highest degree of performance and Red is the lowest.

The message for Blue is that the metric is over achieving, it is doing GREAT! Subsequently, when status is Green, your achieving results as reasonably expected. Yellow indicates that issues are impeding performance, yet are manageable within the project team. Lastly, Red indicates that issues impeding performance are outside the control of the project team, requiring executive steering committee or sponsor intervention.

Here is a conundrum for you to think about. Consider that you’ve completed all the work planned, within the allocated budget, and to the satisfaction of the customer / stakeholders. How would you rate your performance? In my opinion, I would choose Blue, recognizing the ability to successfully deliver amidts the uncertainty. Other people may choose Green, stating that what was achieved was what was expected. My opinion does not come without caveats. It is based the opinion that in most cases, project leaders will be working within a tightly constrained environment. They will encounter difficulty and make compromises while achieving project objectives. What is guiding your opinion?

Some facts pertaining to projects:
Projects by definition are temporary and unique. This introduces a degree of uncertainty and risk that will mitigate performance. Therefore it is unlikely that a project will attain a perfect score each month. There can be cases where we find that a perfect score is achievable each month. This could occur in projects that have transferred all risk, such with firm fixed price contracts. It could also occur where planning, execution, and control activities were painstakingly and rigorously followed. This could also occur where there was sufficient reserve capacity available. Hopefully this isn't occurring due to inadequate performance translation or misreporting.