Tracking Progress Efficiently

Everyone says “change is happening” But how do you know it’s actually working? Change initiatives are easy to start. Harder to measure. Without clear indicators, leaders guess if progress is real And guesswork rarely works Top change leaders track these metrics to stay ahead: 1/ Achievement → How close did we get to our change goals → Focus on learning first, then performance Example: % of project milestones met vs. planned 2/ Completion → How well did we execute on schedule, scope, and budget → Example: Tasks finished on time and within budget 3/ Acceptability → Stakeholder satisfaction with the process and solution → Example: Survey scores, qualitative feedback 4/ Engagement → How involved are teams and stakeholders in the change → Example: Attendance in workshops, participation in feedback sessions 5/ Adoption → Are people actually using new systems, behaviors, or processes → Example: % of employees actively using a new tool or workflow 6/ Sustainability → Are changes sticking over time or fading → Example: Reassess behaviors 3–6 months post-change 7/ Impact → The measurable difference on business outcomes → Example: Efficiency gains, revenue growth, or error reduction Stop hoping for progress. Start proving it. P.S. Which of these metrics do you track most closely in your change initiatives? -- Follow me, Daniel Lock, for practical tips for leading change, consulting & thought leadership

I’m a firm believer that regular check-ins are the key to project success. Are you checking in enough? Ever been part of a project that suddenly veered off track without warning? You’re not alone. The truth is, projects rarely fail because of one big mistake; they fail because of small issues that go unnoticed until it's too late. That’s where regular check-ins come in. When I was managing projects with multiple suppliers, we established a game-changing routine: monthly supplier progress review meetings. Each supplier would submit reports highlighting all open items, supported by a three-month rolling KPI for each. This simple process was a game changer for four key reasons: 1️⃣ Proactive Problem-Solving: Instead of scrambling to fix issues at the last minute, we could see which items were stalling and tackle them head-on before they became bigger problems. It wasn’t just about reacting; it was about staying ahead. 2️⃣ Accountability & Transparency: Regular check-ins meant everyone knew their performance was being monitored. Suppliers had a clear platform to raise concerns, and we could address them collaboratively. It drove accountability and created a culture of transparency. 3️⃣ Stronger Partnerships: Communication isn’t just about managing; it’s about connecting. These monthly sessions allowed us to build trust and work together as true partners, not just client and supplier. Problems were solved faster, and relationships grew stronger. 4️⃣ Continuous Improvement: With regular data and feedback, we could spot patterns and make adjustments. We weren’t just tracking progress; we were optimizing it. Over time, this approach led to significant improvements and fewer roadblocks. Consistent communication, like these check-ins, can be the lifeline of any project. It keeps everyone aligned, proactive, and focused on solutions. So, whether you’re managing suppliers, a team, or an entire organization, don’t underestimate the power of regular, open dialogue. How do you keep projects on track? Drop your thoughts below, and follow me for more insights on leadership, contract management, and strategic collaboration. #Leadership #ProjectManagement #TeamCollaboration #SupplierManagement #ContinuousImprovement #CommunicationMatters

Stop Measuring What You Can Count — Measure What You Actually Want. Dashboards, KPIs, spreadsheets - they’re addictive. But most teams track what’s easy to measure, not what actually matters most. Leaders often ask, “Are we hitting our numbers?” — but miss the bigger question: Do these numbers tell the story of progress, alignment, and impact? Here’s how to focus metrics on meaningful outcomes: 1️⃣ Identify metrics that directly influence behavior and results 2️⃣ Connect metrics to motivation, energy, and alignment—so the team knows what drives performance. 3️⃣ Prioritize metrics that spark decisions and improvements, not just feed a report. 4️⃣ Review regularly: remove irrelevant metrics and focus attention on indicators that matter most. When you measure the right things, dashboards transform from a list of numbers into a roadmap for action. Teams understand priorities, leaders make informed decisions, and performance improves measurably.

→ 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠? Burn Down Charts have quietly revolutionized how agile teams stay on track. But are you truly leveraging them - or merely scratching the surface? Let’s uncover the mystery behind this essential tool that can make or break your sprint success. → 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲? • Plots remaining work over time during a sprint or project. • Visualizes if your team is on pace to deliver. • Highlights risks before they become issues. → 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 • Determine Total Work - count tasks or story points upfront. • Set Up Chart - X-axis for time, Y-axis for work remaining. • Update Daily - track remaining work every day using Jira, Trello, or manually. • Compare Progress - match actual vs. ideal progress to identify gaps. → 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 • Time Axis (X) - sprint days or cycles. • Remaining Work Axis (Y) - hours, points, or tasks left. • Planned Progress Line - your steady, expected pace. • Actual Progress Line - real progress, telling the truth. → 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 • Real-Time Tracking reveals hidden blockers early. • Transparency empowers the entire team and stakeholders. • Predictability sharpens your delivery forecasts. • Boosts Motivation through visible accountability. → 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 • Jira - built-in burndown for Agile teams. • Trello - Power-Ups add visual tracking. • Azure DevOps - integrate third-party apps for charts. • Google Sheets - DIY for full control. → Here’s the Truth Most Teams Miss: The burn down chart isn’t just a graph. It’s a mirror reflecting your team’s health and sprint reality. Ignore it, and you risk derailment. Master it, and you gain a powerful ally guiding your success. follow Carlos Shoji for more insights

🔹 Can you achieve a goal if you don’t measure your progress? 🤔📊 Imagine setting a goal to lose 10 kilos. You start eating healthier and exercising more—but you never weigh yourself. Chances are, you won’t know if you’re making progress—or if you’re even on the right track. 🚶♂️⚖️ I once worked with the CEO of a bank that had just rolled out a new customer service strategy. When I asked how he was tracking success, his answer? He wasn’t. ❌ No metrics, no benchmarks, no way of knowing if the strategy was working. If you don’t measure, you can’t manage. The odds of successfully implementing a strategy without tracking progress? Slim to none. So how do you translate strategy into measurable objectives? ✅ Set clear, actionable KPIs – Define what success looks like 🎯 ✅ Track progress consistently – Regularly measure, review, and adapt 📊 ✅ Align objectives with teams – Everyone should know what they’re working toward 🤝 ✅ Use data to make decisions – Rely on insights, not guesswork 🔍 Strategy isn’t just about big ideas—it’s about execution and measurement. If you’re not tracking, you’re not progressing. 🚀 💡 What’s your go-to method for tracking performance? Let’s discuss! 👇 #Strategy #PerformanceTracking #Leadership #KPIs #BusinessSuccess #ProjectManagement 🚀

Are you stuck in busywork or making real progress? Tracking tasks ≠ achieving meaningful results. The difference? Top performers prioritize with purpose. Here’s how they leverage OKRs and KPIs to turn effort into impact: --- OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): ➟ Set bold, transformational goals. ➟ Focus on what drives real growth. ➟ Foster innovation and accountability. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): ➟ Track progress with actionable metrics. ➟ Define success with clarity and precision. ➟ Make smarter decisions with data-driven insights. --- 4 Steps to Nail OKRs: 1. Define big, outcome-driven objectives—not just tasks. 2. Break objectives into measurable key results. 3. Align your team so everyone is rowing in the same direction. 4. Regularly review and adjust to stay on track. 4 Steps to Master KPIs: 1. Focus on metrics that truly reflect your success. 2. Set specific, measurable, and time-bound targets. 3. Track your KPIs consistently and in real time. 4. Use insights to adjust and improve your strategy. --- Pro Tip: Use OKRs to set the vision and direction. Use KPIs to track your progress and refine your execution. --- Call to Action: Are OKRs or KPIs part of your 2024 strategy? Drop a comment below—how will you use them to crush your goals? ♻ If this sparked an idea, share it with your network! Follow @Jay Mount for more practical insights on growth, leadership, and success.

My favorite project management tool is the anticipated cost report. After working on dozens of projects, I've seen how teams that diligently manage via an anticipated cost report simply perform better. To start: Every development project needs an anticipated cost report. Period. This isn't optional - it's the industry standard for tracking original contract amounts, change orders, current commitments, and what's actually been billed and paid to date. Think of it as your project's financial heartbeat. Without regular monitoring, you have no idea if you're on track for schedule or budget, and those are ultimately the two project metrics that you have the most control over. Here's what most people miss: your report must include ALL project costs, not just the GC contract. Those soft costs like permits, design fees, legal, and contingencies need equal tracking. They can be the places where the most unexpected surprises hide. I recommend updating the ACR after each pay application is issued. This creates a natural rhythm of financial oversight that keeps you ahead of problems rather than scrambling to react to them. The real value comes in identifying disconnects early. If materials haven't been purchased within lead time windows (which you'll see in the "billed" and "paid" columns), those scopes are already at risk. Flagging them sooner rather than later is the point. Same goes for spending that's outpacing schedule progress. When you see that trend emerging, you still have time to course-correct before the budget is totally blown. We always set clear variance thresholds that trigger action. On my projects, any line item exceeding 5% of budget requires immediate investigation. No exceptions. A well-managed ACR is also the foundation for good cash flow projections. This lets us model various scenarios and take preventive action months before problems manifest on site. Final thought: Make sure the ACR is easy to update, this will ensure it is useful. I've seen too many teams create overly complex tracking systems, to the point where they are useless. Remember: You cannot manage what you do not measure. Everything begins with a comprehensive, consistently updated cost report that records the project and provides data for better decision-making

OKRs aren’t the problem. The way most teams use them is. Let's get real for a sec: they usually turn into a check the box planning exercise. You spend weeks working on them, getting approvals, presenting them… and then don’t look at them again until the quarter ends. By then, you either forgot what was in them or realized how wildly off you were. Here's how we're doing things differently this quarter with our four-person marketing team at UserEvidence: 1. Planning for ~70% of our capacity Curveballs will always happen, including some good ones you should respond to. Overplanning for closer to 100% of our capacity has burned us before. That’s on me. This time around, we’re leaving more room for the unexpected so we can stay flexible. 2. Breaking key results into milestones No more waiting until the end of the quarter to realize we’re behind. If we don’t hit the first milestone(s), we already know we’re off pace. Better to catch it early than scramble in the final weeks. 3. Keeping tracking stupid simple Jumping from no real OKR tracking to something overly complex would’ve been a disaster. You've missed the point if your team spends more time updating a project management tool than doing the work. A simple Google Sheet is enough to track progress, spot risks, and adjust. 4. Updating async, then solving problems in real time We have a calendar reminder on Mondays to update our OKR tracker async. No more wasting meeting time on status updates. We're now using our weekly team meeting to call out what’s stuck, at risk, or already slipping. More problem-solving, fewer updates that could've been a three-line comment but somehow became a 10-minute SNL monologue. OKRs should be a living process, not a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. That’s the shift we’re making. Let’s see how it plays out (aka ask me on 5/1 when Q2 starts for us and see if these changes actually worked).

Last week, our team delivered 85% of a project's features in under 6 days. Most agencies take weeks or months. Here's how we do it: We track 5 key metrics in our weekly multi-way meetings: • Total items delivered • Average cost per item • Bug percentage in deliveries • Time to close (85th percentile) • Cycle time (from start to completion) All while giving our clients full visibility into everything. Real example from last week: We had one outlier that took 14 days to complete due to an external dependency. This sparked an immediate discussion on improving our dependency management process. That's the difference between good and great teams: → Good teams track metrics. → Great teams use metrics to spark meaningful process improvements. We're obsessed with performance because we have to be. Full visibility and transparency in planning means we can't hide behind arbitrary timelines or vague progress reports. This level of tracking helps us: • Improve predictability • Identify bottlenecks instantly • Maintain quality while moving fast Lesson: Building quality into the process beats trying to add it later. When you combine the right metrics with the right discussions, speed follows naturally.

Have you ever thought about tracking progress directly on the scope in Primavera P6 Cloud? In my recent projects, I've been focusing more on measuring progress against scope rather than just time or cost. When your WBS is aligned with the contract deliverables, you can monitor how much of the actual work is done—not just how long it's taken. Here’s how I track scope progress in Primavera P6 EPPM (Cloud version): 🔹 1. Align the WBS with contractual scope Each WBS level reflects a specific deliverable or component of work. 🔹 2. Enable WBS Summary Activities These automatically roll up progress from lower-level activities. 🔹 3. Set % Complete Type to ‘Physical’ This allows for manual, more accurate progress entry based on real deliverables. 🔹 4. Add WBS-level milestones Helps in monitoring progress checkpoints tied to specific scopes. 🔹 5. Update Physical % Complete periodically I typically base this on field reports, inspection logs, or earned value calculations. 🔹 6. Visualize scope progress Using the P6 dashboard or integrated visuals in Power BI gives stakeholders real-time clarity. 💡 Bonus tip: Scope % complete can also be automated using formulas or field data integration to reduce manual effort. #Primavera #P6 #Scheduling #Consulting #Scope Learn more https://lnkd.in/gMYUqyDf