Measuring Success

At the end of the day / week / year / project, how do you know you did good?

As I wrote previously, delivering useful capabilities is the only measure of success for Rogue Project Leaders.

So if you're primarily measuring progress by whether or not you've complied with the process, or whether you improved the process, or whether the metrics you report are in line with the metrics you were expected to report... I'd like to gently suggest that somewhere in your calculus you address the question of actually delivering the hardware / software / vehicle / system / product.

Even if your job description says your main task is to improve the process, there should still be a link to the actual product. Because frankly, your job is never to simply improve the process. Process is a means, not an end. The point is to make the output better / cheaper / available sooner / etc... so if your process improvements don't make the output better, you haven't really improved the process.

Let me say it again: process (and process improvement) is a means, not an end.