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Include feedback for "observing human systems"
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acramsay committed Jan 29, 2024
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9 changes: 7 additions & 2 deletions docs/business-systems.md
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# Business OKRs defined & measurable

Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) are defined, with clear and inspiring Objectives that align with the company's overall mission and vision. Key Results are specific, measurable, and quantifiable, providing a clear path towards achieving the Objectives. OKRs are regularly reviewed and updated as needed, with a strong commitment to achieving them.
[Objectives & Key Results(OKRs)](https://www.productboard.com/blog/defining-objectives-and-key-results-for-your-product-team/)
are defined, with clear and inspiring Objectives that align with the company's overall
mission and vision. Key Results are specific, measurable, and quantifiable, providing a
clear path towards achieving the Objectives. OKRs are regularly reviewed and updated as
needed, with a strong commitment to achieving them.

- _How to Measure:_ All team members understand the OKRs and how their work contributes to their achievement. The OKRs are logged in the company's OKR tracker.
- _How to Measure:_ All team members understand the OKRs and how their work contributes to
their achievement. The OKRs are logged in the company's OKR tracker.
41 changes: 21 additions & 20 deletions docs/human-systems/observing-human-systems.md
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Many of us typically think of Observability in the context of observing a system of
software (e.g. a collection of microservices that form a single product). Some of the
advice provided herein describes how to observe a human system like teams or development
advice provided herein describes how to observe human systems like teams or development
organizations. This is a much more sensitive activity. Open O11y offers these guiding
principles to observing human systems ethically.

Expand All @@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ systems and the individuals they are comprised of.

> Tell me how you measure me and I will tell you how I will behave. If you measure me in
> an illogical way, do not complain about illogical behavior.
> \- Eli Goldratt
> \- [Eli Goldratt](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eliyahu_M._Goldratt#The_Haystack_Syndrome_(1990))
*When observing human systems, it is critical to build a culture where individuals can
both feel and **be** safe while being observed.*
both feel and be safe while being observed.*

### Employee Evaluations and Compensation

Being safely observed implies that employers must *not* use telemetry for reviews,
Being safely observed implies that employers ***must not*** use telemetry for reviews,
compensation adjustments, employment decisions, etc. Because reviews and compensation are
so impactful to employees, the use of telemetry data can dramatically shift an employee's
focus to optimizing telemetry data. If employers misuse telemetry, then employees are
Expand All @@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ effective contributors. This is a problem that can be avoided.

### Individual Telemetry

Telemetry data must only contain aggregated data for systems (groups) of people.
Observability over human systems must *not* gather telemetry from specific individuals.
This is a foundational requirement of being safely observed.
Telemetry data ***must*** only contain aggregated data for systems (groups) of people.
Observability over human systems ***must not*** gather telemetry from specific
individuals. This is a foundational requirement of being safely observed.

### Comparing Disparate Groups

Expand All @@ -53,36 +53,37 @@ it may be reasonable to compare the `story points planned / story points complet
between multiple teams as an unusually low or high ratio may indicate a planning and/or
capacity issue.

> Dont ask people to collaborate if they know that, in the end, there will be a winner
> Don't ask people to collaborate if they know that, in the end, there will be a winner
> and a loser.
> \- Eli Goldratt
> \- [Bertrand Duperrin](https://www.duperrin.com/english/2014/06/23/quote-tell-how-you-measure-and-i-will-tell-you-how-i-will-behave/)
## Using Telemetry In Different Roles

### Teams and Individual Contributors

These are the ideal candidates for using telemetry data. Teams and individuals must
These are the ideal candidates for using telemetry data. Teams and individuals ***must***
observe themselves to identify trends and establish their working norms. Once a baseline
is established, teams can then use telemetry to identify issues and strive to improve
individual and team performance based on an established set of engineering principles.

### Secondary Contributors

Open O11y coined this term to describe roles that exist to organize, improve, or
facilitate the work of others. In the world of software development, this includes SCRUM
Masters, Project Managers, middle and upper management, and others.
Open O11y uses this term to describe roles that exist to organize, improve, or facilitate
the work of others. In the world of software development, this includes SCRUM Masters,
Project Managers, middle and upper management, and others.

Generally, secondary contributors must *not* use telemetry to observe the teams they
support. Doing so offers limited benefits but can significantly damage the the
organizations culture of being safely observed.
Secondary contributors ***must not*** use telemetry to observe the teams they support.
Doing so offers limited benefits but can significantly damage the the organizations
culture of being safely observed.

### Direct Managers

In this context, a "direct manager" refers to any managers whose direct reports are
individual contributors. A direct manager can be an individual contributor, a secondary
contributor, or both. This also varies heavily within a single organization. These leaders
must be especially careful with how they use telemetry data. These team members must
constantly evaluate if they are observing their team or themselves as a part of that team.
***must*** be especially careful with how they use telemetry data. These team members
***must*** constantly evaluate if they are observing their team or themselves as a part of
that team.

These leaders must pay careful attention to reactions, team feedback, and changes in team
behaviors.
These leaders ***must*** pay careful attention to reactions, team feedback, and changes in
team behaviors.

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