KPI selection rubric — pick metrics that drive action

Use this rubric to evaluate candidate metrics. Rate each metric 0–3 and prefer metrics with higher totals. Focus on ownerability and sensitivity to short changes.

Rubric criteria

1. Outcome relevance (0–3): How directly does this metric connect to customer value or a core organizational goal?
2. Ownerability (0–3): Can a single person or small team reasonably influence the metric in the short term?
3. Timeliness / sensitivity (0–3): Does the metric move at a cadence that allows meaningful observation between huddles?
4. Clarity (0–3): Will the team understand changes and know what they mean?
5. Risk of distortion (0–3): Can the metric be gamed or produce harmful incentives if optimized?

How to use the rubric

1. List candidate metrics and score each criterion (0 = poor, 3 = excellent).
2. Prefer metrics with higher totals and with a balance of lead and lag indicators.
3. Drop or rework metrics with high distortion risk unless you can pair them with complementary measures.

Examples of good metric pairs

• Customer-support queue: (lead) average response time + (lag) customer satisfaction.
• Sales pipeline: (lead) qualified leads per week + (lag) closed revenue.
• Manufacturing: (lead) first-pass yield + (lag) on-time delivery rate.