Guide

Track output without micromanaging

Measure whether the work is getting done, not whether someone's green dot is active.

6 min read·4 steps

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Define what 'done' looks like for each role
For a support role: tickets resolved and response time. For a developer: features shipped and bugs fixed. Specific, measurable outcomes beat 'were they online' every time.
Set weekly, not daily, check-ins on output
Daily output tracking creates anxiety and encourages people to look busy instead of actually finishing things. A weekly view of what got done is usually a better signal.
Avoid activity-monitoring software
Keystroke loggers and screenshot tools destroy trust the moment people discover them (and they always do), and they measure activity, not value. The relationship cost usually outweighs any benefit.
Quick tip
If you don't trust someone enough to measure their output instead of their activity, that's a hiring or performance conversation, not a surveillance problem.
Address problems through conversation, not data alone
If someone's output is genuinely slipping, talk to them directly, there's often a real reason (overload, unclear priorities, a personal issue). Data should prompt a conversation, not replace one.

That’s the whole thing.

Define what 'done' looks like for each role