Discover a better way to manage your data—without overreacting to every up and down. Measures of Success shows you how.
STOP REACTING TO NOISE.
START RESPONDING TO SIGNALS.
Measures of Success shows business leaders how
Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR HOW TO MANAGE YOUR METRICS
Organizations depend on metrics for their business. The question is, are they helping people do the right things? Or, encouraging them to overreact to every uptick, downturn, and change?
In other words, reacting to noise.
Noise is present in every metric. But, it’s our reaction to noise that causes waste and stress. Too often, people don’t recognize this.
Like feeling stuck on a rollercoaster you no longer enjoy.
We do and explain things that don’t help us improve. At the cost of doing things that do. No need to be jittery about every change in a metric. Not by a long shot.
Measures of Success shows a better way to chart and manage your metrics, in any organization or setting. For your business processes and activities, you need to know what’s working, what’s not, and what to change. And why. Then, you can determine what to stop doing, what to start doing, and what to keep doing.
So you can…
Jump off the metrics rollercoaster, by responding to signals.
Systematically. Sustainably.
Learn how to identify meaningful signals in a metric. To respond just right.
Or perhaps, not at all.
You’ll learn how with methods that are easy to understand, making it obvious what activities to do next. Loads of vivid stories and clear examples from healthcare, software companies, and more. With compelling case studies from the news and personal lives, too.
“What gets measured gets managed.“
We’ve all heard that. But did you ever learn how to manage a metric? This ain’t about gaming the system or fudging the numbers. This is about delivering real value, understood by everyone, and proven with data.
Learn a better way to manage your measures.
PRAISE FOR “MEASURES OF SUCCESS”
Zeynep Ton
, Author of The Good Jobs Strategy
Eric Ries
“By combining a range of case studies and stories across industries, including many from his own personal experience, with detailed, clear explanations of what Process Behavior Charts are and why they’re so effective for managing data, Mark Graban has written a readable, informative book to guide any leader who wants to help an organization achieve true and lasting success. Improvement has been made easier thanks to his work.”
HI. I’M MARK GRABAN.
I help people across industries improve their processes and results—by focusing on what truly works. My approach is grounded in Lean thinking, guided by math and science, and supported by data—not opinions or gut feelings.
I teach leaders how to turn metrics and charts into insight—and insight into meaningful, lasting improvement. That’s why I wrote Measures of Success—to help you react less, lead better, and improve more.
Helping businesses convert data into insights
Other Lean books by Mark: Lean Hospitals, Healthcare Kaizen, Practicing Lean
See my website MarkGraban.com
WHO IS MEASURES OF SUCCESS FOR?
This book is for leaders and teams who:
- Rely on performance metrics
- Want to improve, not just report
- Are tired of chasing every fluctuation in data
- Prefer data-informed decisions over opinions or gut feelings
Ideal for professionals in:
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Government & Public Service
- Startups and Small Business
TO BE CLEAR
Measures of Success is not for leaders who’d rather give orders. Then, blame others when things go south. That whole hit the target or else thing… won’t create real change, nor real value. But that ain’t you, right?
AFTER READING MEASURES OF SUCCESS
…you’ll be able to answer three critical questions for your business.
1) Are we achieving our target?
And, how often? Occasionally? Consistently?
2) Are we improving?
And, can we predict our future performance?
3) How do we improve?
And, when do we react? When do we ignore? When do we improve?
…AND HOW CAN WE PROVE WE’RE IMPROVING?
How would you feel if you could answer these questions for your business?
Measures of Success shows you how.
WHY THIS BOOK?
If you’re frustrated by inconsistent performance or confused by noisy data, you’re not alone.
Measures of Success helps leaders stop reacting to every metric fluctuation—and start making informed, confident decisions using Process Behavior Charts.
Whether you’re in healthcare, manufacturing, software, or services, this book gives you tools to:
- Understand what your data is really saying
- Distinguish between signal and noise
- Know when to take action—and when to stay the course
- Lead teams with greater calm, clarity, and focus
PROCESS BEHAVIOR CHARTS
This book teaches you a proven method for filtering out noise, so we can identify signals. This means we waste less time chasing our tail and more time responding to signals that matter, heading off small problems before they become big, or showing that we’ve boosted performance in significant and sustainable ways.
Process Behavior Charts are also called XmR charts. They’re a form of “Statistical Process Control” (SPC) chart or “Control Chart.” Confusing, right? My book will make it all clear regardless of the terminology you use.
About the Author
Mark Graban is a consultant, speaker, and award-winning author known for helping organizations lead with clarity and improve with purpose. His work blends Lean, systems thinking, and real-world problem-solving—with a focus on people, not just numbers.
THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT
Measures of Success is a book for business leaders. Although it’s based on statistical methods, anyone will understand how to use these charts.
No reason to feel intimidated — this ain’t calculus, nor rocket science, either.
Learn to respond versus react to changes in metrics. Have better conversations, creating better outcomes. Backed by numbers over opinions. And…
Prove it all. Visually. In seconds.
With charts and other visuals to show, rather than tell.
REACT LESS. LEAD BETTER. IMPROVE MORE.
Key takeaways for Measures of Success.
- Don’t manage the metric. Do manage the work. Metrics are the result of your work. Improving work improves results.
- Two data points are not a trend. Three? Four? Not usually. A dozen or more? You betcha.
- Data only has meaning when compared over time. Context tells the story.
- A chart tells a better story than a list of numbers. Every. Time.
- More than what happened, be able to predict what’s likely to happen.
- Fluctuations occur for every metric. Process behavior charts show what to respond to, and what to ignore.
- Save your breath and time explaining the noise of a metric, since there’s no ‘root cause’.
- Measure often. Weekly over monthly. Daily, even better. Respond thoughtfully, versus react mindlessly.
Want to react less, lead better, and improve more with a better story for your organization? Who wouldn’t, right?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the main message of Measures of Success?
A: It teaches leaders how to respond to data using Process Behavior Charts instead of reacting to every change, reducing stress and improving results.
Q: Who should read Measures of Success?
A: Executives, managers, and improvement professionals in healthcare, manufacturing, and services who rely on metrics for decision-making.
Q: What are Process Behavior Charts?
A: A simple method from statistical process control that helps identify meaningful signals in data, filtering out noise to guide better decisions.