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What alternative metrics or approaches have you found effective for assessing team performance ethically?

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Stelian ROMAN Project Manager| MicroSafety Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia

The Agile Enterprise, defined in manufacturing in the last decades of the 20th century, is now not only a reality but most likely the norm. In Agile environments using frameworks inspired by the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, velocity is a widely used metric. It measures the amount of work a team completes during a Sprint, typically quantified in story points or similar units. Created as a Team practice to plan and track their work, some organizations often use velocity to track progress, forecast outcomes, and sometimes to compare teams. Comparing teams based on their velocity can lead to serious ethical challenges. This blog post explores these concerns, drawing on respected sources such as the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the Agile Practice Guide, ISO 31000, and the PMBOK. The post highlights some challenges and provides recommendations.

The Bottom Line

Comparing teams using velocity is not just a technical mistake; it’s an ethical one. Velocity is a local, team-specific planning tool. Misusing it for inter-team comparison can lead to misrepresentation, demotivation, metric manipulation, and ethical violations. By focusing on value delivery, transparency, and responsible risk management, organizations can foster a healthier and more ethical Agile culture. Teams and organisations must honour professional codes and uphold the spirit of Agile by using metrics wisely and ethically.

Blog post: The Ethical Aspect of Comparing Teams Using Velocity: A Deep Dive

ProjectManagement.com - The Agile Enterprise
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Robert Snyder Founder & President| Innovation Elegance, LLC Chicago, Il, United States

Alternative? Is there a mainstream culture scorecard? 😊 Here's my list ... my Culture Scorecard.

Complexity. Low. Target value = 5. If executives shrug, then Complexity High. Target value = 100.

Finite Productivity. Default target value = 216. If executives shrug, then don't track and exaggerate Infinite Activity.

Documentation Debt. Target value = 0. If executives shrug, keep documentation to meeting minutes. Illegitimate the concept of Documentation Debt.

Approachability. Target value = 100%. Every employee should be approachable and coachable ... approached and coached ... about their meeting etiquette, email etiquette, and contribution to structured documentation. If executives shrug, target value is zero. Assume egos and humility is such that no one is approachable. Executives have "unexamined superiority."

Entropy (rework, chaos, waiting, sprawl, noise). Target value = 0. If executives shrug, target value is 100. Complete VUCA. Maximize rework, chaos, waiting, sprawl, and noise. Glamorize it by saying, "Change is constant."

I'll pause for reactions. 😊 I have a few more ideas.

I'd love someone to share their own metrics for team performance and health.
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Stelian ROMAN Project Manager| MicroSafety Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia
@Robert, this post is about story points; it has nothing to do with culture metrics.
There are a lot of proven effective ways to compare project teams. It is an entire science called benchmarking. I don't believe that we need to re-invent the wheel.
Ron Jeffries, the person credited as the inventor of Story Points, apologised for inventing them.
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Robert Snyder Founder & President| Innovation Elegance, LLC Chicago, Il, United States
Thank you, Stelian. I focused on the title of the post (metrics and performance), and in the body of your post, now I see your emphasis on story points. Thank you.
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1 reply by Stelian ROMAN
Sep 06, 2026 8:57 PM
Stelian ROMAN
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Thanks, Robert. I use 'traditional' metrics, but I have a special interest in Story Points. I was lucky to work with Function Points professional counters on a few Benchmarking for Process Improvement projects using Lean Six Sigma. Based on my experience as a development lead, I believe that I understand the SP benefits and risks of SP. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of Agile teams misusing SP. I am curious if there are other people with similar experiences.
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Stelian ROMAN Project Manager| MicroSafety Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia
Jul 26, 2026 9:18 PM
Replying to Robert Snyder
...
Thank you, Stelian. I focused on the title of the post (metrics and performance), and in the body of your post, now I see your emphasis on story points. Thank you.
Thanks, Robert. I use 'traditional' metrics, but I have a special interest in Story Points. I was lucky to work with Function Points professional counters on a few Benchmarking for Process Improvement projects using Lean Six Sigma. Based on my experience as a development lead, I believe that I understand the SP benefits and risks of SP. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of Agile teams misusing SP. I am curious if there are other people with similar experiences.

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