The Data Fluent Culture - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 135

After you have clarity on the purpose for which you will use a particular metric,
the next step is to choose a good metric. Good metrics include several specific
dimensions that are shown in Figure 6-2.

When the metric value
changes, it is clear what
caused the change
and/or what actions
should be taken.

The data can be acquired
with modest effort from a
source that people trust.

Accessible,
credible data

Actionable

Good metrics

Transparent,
simple
calculation

Common
interpretation

The method for generating
the metric is shared and
well understood.

People in the organization
recognize what the
metric means.

Figure 6-2 Effective metrics are actionable, credible, transparent, and have a shared interpretation across your
organization.

Good metrics are created from accessible, credible data that is
easy to gather from a trusted source. Every metric takes time and
effort to construct. Before choosing the metric, it is worth asking ques-
tions of the data source: Is the data collected in a way that accurately
captures reality? Is the data difficult to gather or delayed in a way that
will undermine its value? Will consumers find reason to question the
data source? For the results to have validity and for a culture of data
engagement to emerge within your organization, data producers must
have access to credible, trusted data.

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Good metrics are transparent and generated by understandable
calculations. For the metrics identified by an organization to shape
individual and collective practice, they must be easily understood,
affording transparency for how they were developed. Further, as
Andrew Jaquith, author of Security Metrics points out, good metrics
are best expressed as a number or percentage. And by number, he
specifies a cardinal number —something that specifies how many of
something there are—rather than an ordinal number that denotes

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