KPIs and metrics that name themselves

KPIs and metrics tell you whether the project is working before it is over. Pick ones an organizer can read in 30 seconds.

KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. In community projects, a KPI is a number you watch weekly that tells you whether the project is on track. Five is plenty. Three is often better. More than seven and nobody watches them.

A useful KPI has three traits: (1) you can collect it without a research grant, (2) the team would change behavior based on what it says, and (3) it points to one of your objectives. "Number of survey responses this week" is a KPI. "Member sentiment" is not a KPI; it is a vibe.

For each of your objectives from lesson 3.1, write one KPI you would watch weekly. Put them in a small spreadsheet you update on Mondays. The discipline of the Monday update is what makes KPIs real; without it they are decoration.

A note on lagging vs. leading indicators. A lagging KPI tells you what happened (responses received). A leading KPI tells you what is about to happen (number of one-on-ones held this week). Try to have at least one leading KPI per project; lagging metrics are too late to act on.