If you can’t see real growth, you’ll default to what’s easiest to count: attendance and seat time.
But in a fast-moving market, it doesn’t matter how many hours someone spent in a classroom; it matters if they can perform when things get difficult. To build a truly resilient team, you have to stop measuring “presence” and start measuring behaviors and outcomes.
1. Measure the “Learning Loop” (Not Attendance)
Don’t just track whether people started a project or a training module—track whether they completed the feedback loop. Focus on After-Action Reviews (AARs):
- What did we expect to happen?
- What actually happened?
- What are we changing for next time?The Goal: Progress isn’t just “doing things”; it’s closing the loop between action and insight.
2. Measure “Time-to-Competence”
The true test of a team is how they handle unfamiliar work. Watch these indicators:
- First-Attempt Quality: How much rework is required on new initiatives?
- Speed to Autonomy: How quickly can a new hire or team member become independently effective?
- The Iteration Rate: How fast can the team ship a “good enough” version 1.0?The Goal: If your team is actually growing, they should get better at handling the “unknown” over time.
3. Measure Psychological Safety
High performance requires an environment where people can take risks. Use a simple, quarterly pulse check to see if your team agrees with these statements:
- “It is safe to ask for help or voice concerns.”
- “Mistakes are treated as opportunities to improve, not reasons for blame.”
- “We can respectfully challenge decisions.”The Goal: Safety isn’t about “vibes”—it is the baseline requirement for high-speed adaptation.
What to Ignore: The “Vanity Metrics”
Stop rewarding numbers that look good on a spreadsheet but don’t drive the bottom line:
- Total training hours completed.
- Number of slides delivered.
- Content “engagement” scores.These numbers can skyrocket while actual performance stays flat.
The Bottom Line
If you need one simple question to guide your leadership: Are we getting faster at becoming good at new things? In a world of constant change, the ability to learn quickly is your only permanent competitive advantage.
What are you currently measuring that rewards “looking busy” instead of “getting better”?
