Which of the following best describes the characteristics of good performance measures?

Which of the following best describes the characteristics of good performance measures?

• A. Fair, easy to collect, consistent and objective
• B. Expensive to implement
• C. Highly subjective
• D. Non-reproducible

Answer: (A)

Good performance measures are fair, practical to collect, consistent in how they’re applied, and objective in scoring. Fairness means the measure reflects true performance without bias toward any group or individual. It should capture the right aspects of performance and avoid favoring those with easier data to extract. Being easy to collect keeps data coming in regularly without placing a heavy administrative burden on teams, which helps ensure the metric is actually used and kept up to date. Consistency means the same definitions, data sources, and calculation methods are used across time and across projects so comparisons are meaningful and decisions are based on stable, repeatable results. Objectivity means the measurement relies on observable facts or standardized procedures rather than personal judgment, reducing variation due to subjective opinions. Together, these qualities make the measure reliable, actionable, and trustworthy for evaluating performance, guiding improvements, and supporting fair comparisons. Measures that are expensive to implement, highly subjective, or non-reproducible undermine reliability and usefulness, which is why they’re not preferred.

Good performance measures are fair, practical to collect, consistent in how they’re applied, and objective in scoring. Fairness means the measure reflects true performance without bias toward any group or individual. It should capture the right aspects of performance and avoid favoring those with easier data to extract. Being easy to collect keeps data coming in regularly without placing a heavy administrative burden on teams, which helps ensure the metric is actually used and kept up to date. Consistency means the same definitions, data sources, and calculation methods are used across time and across projects so comparisons are meaningful and decisions are based on stable, repeatable results. Objectivity means the measurement relies on observable facts or standardized procedures rather than personal judgment, reducing variation due to subjective opinions.

Together, these qualities make the measure reliable, actionable, and trustworthy for evaluating performance, guiding improvements, and supporting fair comparisons. Measures that are expensive to implement, highly subjective, or non-reproducible undermine reliability and usefulness, which is why they’re not preferred.