Aligning What You Measure with Your Purpose with Scott Weiner

Team Amplifier

In this episode, the host speaks with Scott Weiner, a CTO and expert in high-performing teams, on the importance of aligning metrics with team purpose. Scott shares his experience as a fractional CTO and insights into the overlap between Agile practices and AI development. They discuss the pitfalls of measuring the wrong metrics and how doing so can demotivate teams. Scott emphasizes the importance of trust, autonomy, and clear purpose in fostering high-performing teams. He recounts personal stories to illustrate the impact of these principles and offers practical advice for tech leaders to improve team dynamics and effectiveness. The conversation touches on the balance needed in metrics, leaders' assumptions, and the critical role of trust in achieving team success.

Links:

* Scott Weiner on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweiner/

* "The Tyranny of Metrics" by Jerry Z. Muller - https://www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Metrics-Jerry-Z-Muller/dp/0691191913?tag=sommardahl-20

* "Clean & Green" by Nancy Birtwhistle - https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Green-Hints-Tips-Eco-Friendly/dp/1529049741?tag=sommardahl-20

* "Drive" by Daniel H. Pink - https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805?tag=sommardahl-20

Timeline: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:34 Scott's Background and Current Focus 01:09 The Importance of Incremental Development 03:00 Challenges in Measuring Success 05:40 Scott's Embarrassing Mistake 11:49 Aligning Metrics with Purpose 17:17 The Importance of Purpose in Work 18:48 Aligning Metrics with Purpose 19:31 Challenges with Current Measurement Practices 22:17 The Role of Trust in Leadership 26:24 Balancing Metrics and Quality 29:34 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team 31:56 Empowering Teams to Drive Change 33:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts