When it is unfair
When it is used unfairly
A figure about you can be accurate and still wrong about your work, and the gap is predictable.
When the Numbers Do Not Describe Your Work
Activity figures misrepresent some work systematically. Knowing exactly how yours is misrepresented is what makes the case.
Explaining a Figure Without Sounding Defensive
Somebody has raised a number with you. How the conversation goes depends almost entirely on the first thirty seconds.
Agreed Adjustments and Repeated Flags
If something about how you work was agreed, a system that keeps flagging it is a configuration problem, not your problem to keep explaining.
Caring Responsibilities and Irregular Days
Activity measures assume a continuous standard day. Most people's days are not, and the deviations say nothing about their work.
When It Reaches a Performance Process
Monitoring data has entered a formal process about you. What it can and cannot support, and what to ask for.
Raising a Concern, in Order
Escalating in the right sequence resolves most situations early and preserves the options if it does not.
When to Get Help
The points at which outside help changes the outcome, and who to approach for which kind of problem.