Leadership

Measure the glue–continued

/ Jeff Hora / Leave a comment
Measuring time

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

In my earlier post about the “glue” of collaboration, I spent the time describing the area of discussion and none about the actual measurement.  That wasn’t exactly by design, as much as it was a realization that measuring collaboration means establishing some ground rules and accepting some risks and vagueness.

The ground rules are both simple and tough. Define what it is you’re trying to measure.  I’m involved with that right now on my team and it is not easy.  Objective measurement, as well as methodology, of collaboration and/or teamwork means setting up scales, deliverables, degrees of importance or weight (“So, was that assist worth a 5 or a 7?” and what does that mean?).  There’s also the issue of whether this measurement applies to the group or to individuals and how you measure individual collaboration in a way that reduces the ability to game the system (“I’ll give you a +5 in the assessment if you give me one as well.”).  Messy stuff….

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Measure the glue–continued

/ / Leave a comment
Measuring time

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

In my earlier post about the “glue” of collaboration, I spent the time describing the area of discussion and none about the actual measurement.  That wasn’t exactly by design, as much as it was a realization that measuring collaboration means establishing some ground rules and accepting some risks and vagueness.

The ground rules are both simple and tough. Define what it is you’re trying to measure.  I’m involved with that right now on my team and it is not easy.  Objective measurement, as well as methodology, of collaboration and/or teamwork means setting up scales, deliverables, degrees of importance or weight (“So, was that assist worth a 5 or a 7?” and what does that mean?).  There’s also the issue of whether this measurement applies to the group or to individuals and how you measure individual collaboration in a way that reduces the ability to game the system (“I’ll give you a +5 in the assessment if you give me one as well.”).  Messy stuff….

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Focus

/ Jeff Hora / Leave a comment
St Anthony the Great

Image via Wikipedia

I have a quote on the white board in my office.  It is attributed to Abba Anthony, one of the Desert Fathers of Christian history.  It is, “Do what you are doing.”  This is my own challenge and one I put to you as well.

To accomplish this, you must not dwell in the past (although you can and should learn from it).  You must not obsess about the future (you have no real way to control it, so this is pointless).  The only moment you really have is this one (there it goes….).

This moment is not entirely yours, as you share it with all creation.  However, the piece of it of which you are a part is important, as in this moment you can focus on the task at hand, make it good, make it worthwhile, create, enable and assist.  Without your critical contribution in this moment, the lessons of the past come to nothing and the future is dimmer.

Focus.  Do what you are doing.

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The measure of glue

/ Jeff Hora / 1 Comment
Adhesives, Nitrocellulose adhesives

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been in a number of discussions, both “official” and over the proverbial pint, about the things that help groups of people actually do things worthwhile.  A very close colleague of mine told me that, in turning over a spreadsheet listing the things that she does everyday to her manager, he said, “It seems you only work about 15 hours a week!”  While being completely wrong, his comment points out something that is devilishly difficult to measure and enumerate on paper: the innumerable small-ish things she does that keep her team moving forward and meshing well.  I’ll call it “glue”, for lack of a better term.

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