Whether your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, the first thing we tend to measure is the number on the scale. But if you want a more accurate view of your progress, it’s time to redefine your metrics.
In program design and evaluation, the indicators we choose shape not only what we measure—but how we define success. By learning to redefine your metrics, you’re evaluating your progress in a more holistic, human way.
This activity is another example of how evaluation shows up in our everyday, identifying more meaningful, context-driven indicators of progress. Whether you’re thinking about your own growth or your program’s impact, expanding how you measure can shift what you learn and how you respond.
Objective
To help staff apply evaluation thinking to both personal and programmatic progress by identifying non-traditional, meaningful indicators of success.
This activity is ideal for:
- Program staff involved in design, implementation, or evaluation
- Teams who want to move beyond surface-level outcomes
- Organizations working to center equity, lived experience, or storytelling in evaluation
What you’ll need:
- Paper and pen, journal, or notes app
- A shared document for team discussion
- 90 minutes of uninterrupted staff time
The steps:
Part one: Individual reflection (15 minutes)
Choose a Personal Goal (2 minutes)
Pick one area of your life where you’ve been trying to make progress—this could be a health goal (e.g., building strength, improving sleep), a creative pursuit, or something work-related like reducing burnout or feeling more confident in meetings.
List Traditional Metrics You’ve Used (3 minutes)
Jot down the typical ways you’ve tried to track progress in this area. Examples are normally:
- Pounds lost
- Number of workouts
- Daily steps
- Increase or decrease in dumbbell weight used
Redefine Your Metrics (7 minutes)
Now choose 2–3 non-traditional or more meaningful indicators of success.
Examples can include:
- Feeling more energized during the day
- Clothes fitting differently
- Stamina during workouts
- Increased sense of calm or motivation
Share Out (3 minutes per person, optional)
If time allows, do a brief partner or group share to normalize different ways of measuring success. This can be as quick as “One new metric I’m going to try is…”
Part two: Program reflection (45 minutes)
Choose a Program or Service to Focus On (5 minutes)
As a group, select one program, service, or initiative your team designs, implements, or evaluates regularly.
List Traditional Program Metrics (10 minutes)
Together, list the common metrics you currently report or rely on for this program. Examples can include:
- # of participants served
- Completion rates
- Pre/post scores
- Session counts
Redefine Your Metrics Collectively (20 minutes)
Explore what additional indicators could reveal the impact or nuances of your program. Prompts to consider:
- What signs of transformation do staff or participants notice that aren’t captured by current data?
- What behaviors or feedback suggest deeper engagement or satisfaction?
- What would success look like if you were measuring belonging, trust, confidence, or joy?
Encourage everyone to contribute 1–2 ideas and capture them for follow-up.
Identify One New Metric to Pilot (10 minutes)
Pick one redefined metric to integrate into your next round of evaluation, storytelling, or program planning. It doesn’t need to be perfect—just meaningful enough to test.
Let’s process (30 minutes)
Choosing meaningful metrics is one of the most powerful tools evaluators and program staff have. When we only measure what’s easy or familiar, we risk missing the outcomes that actually matter to our participants. The same goes for personal goals—when we fixate on one type of metric (like the scale), we miss the small wins that signal transformation.
What new insights came up when you shifted how you measured success? Did you notice outcomes you had been overlooking? Would any of these new indicators change how you frame your program’s impact?
Key takeaway
When you redefine your metrics, you unlock new ways to understand progress. In programs, it means designing for meaning—not just measurement. In life, it means giving yourself credit for growth that numbers can’t always capture.
Better indicators = better insight = better decisions.
Raise Your Voice: What’s one non-traditional metric—personal or programmatic—you’re rethinking? Share below in the comments section.
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