If you’re trying to run a team and actually want to know what’s working, you’ve probably already realized two things: spreadsheets get messy fast, and most “insight dashboards” are more sizzle than steak. If you’re using Theroishop (here’s what I mean: [theroishop.html]), you’ve got some built-in tools for tracking team performance. But raw numbers don’t magically make your team better. This guide is for managers, team leads, and anyone who actually wants to use metrics to improve—not just to fill out a quarterly slide deck.
Let’s get practical about what to track, how to track it, and what’s actually worth your time.
Step 1: Figure Out Which Metrics Actually Matter
Don’t just track everything because you can. Theroishop offers a lot of metrics, but only a few really move the needle for most teams. Before you start clicking buttons, get clear on why you’re tracking performance in the first place.
Common (actually useful) team metrics: - Task completion rate: Are things getting done, or are they piling up? - Cycle time: How long does it take to finish something, start to finish? - Work in progress: Is your team juggling too much at once? - Quality metrics: Are you seeing lots of rework, bugs, or customer complaints? - Team engagement: Are people actually showing up and contributing, or just logging in?
Skip these (most of the time): - Vanity stats (number of comments, logins, emoji reactions) - Anything you wouldn’t be willing to have an uncomfortable conversation about
Pro tip: Ask yourself, “If this number went up or down by 20%, would I do anything differently?” If not, skip it.
Step 2: Set Up Your Metrics in Theroishop
Once you know what you want to track, it’s time to make Theroishop work for you—not the other way around.
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Find the built-in reports
Theroishop has dashboards for tasks, cycle times, and workload. These aren’t bad out of the box, but they can be generic. Start by looking at what’s there, but don’t be afraid to tweak. -
Customize your views
- Use tags, labels, or custom fields to group work by project, type, or priority.
- Filter by team, individual, or date range.
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Save custom reports if you’ll want to check them regularly.
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Set up automated alerts (only if they’re useful)
- Want to know if cycle times spike or tasks are overdue? Great—set up an alert.
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Don’t set up notifications “just in case.” Alert fatigue is real, and nobody needs more noise.
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Integrate with other tools (if you must)
- If you use Slack, email, or something else for updates, link it up—but only if your team will actually look at it.
- Avoid Frankenstein dashboards that pull in so much data nobody knows what to do with it.
What to ignore:
- Don’t waste time configuring every possible widget. Focus on the minimum set of views that give you signal, not noise.
Step 3: Review the Data—But Don’t Drown in It
Having reports is one thing. Actually looking at them is another. Here’s how to get value without analysis paralysis.
How often should you check?
- Weekly: Task completion, cycle time, overdue tasks.
- Monthly: Trends, quality metrics, overall workload.
- Quarterly: Big-picture stuff—are you actually getting better, or just busier?
What to look for:
- Are things getting stuck?
If tasks are piling up in “in progress,” something’s off.
- Is your team burning out?
If one person has triple the tasks, it’s not sustainable.
- Are you shipping junk?
If you’re closing lots of tasks but customers aren’t happy, your metrics are lying to you.
Pro tip:
Don’t just look at averages. Outliers matter—a week where everything blows up can teach you more than a “steady” month.
Step 4: Actually Use the Metrics to Make Changes
Here’s the part most teams skip. Metrics are only useful if you do something because of them.
How to turn metrics into action:
- Spot bottlenecks:
If cycle time jumps, dig in. Is it a slow approval, unclear requirements, or someone swamped with other work? - Adjust workload:
Even distribution looks nice on a chart, but some work is harder. Check in with people, not just the numbers. - Fix process issues:
If you see a lot of rework or reopened tasks, review your process. Maybe requirements are unclear, or reviews are too rushed. - Celebrate wins (seriously):
If the team crushed a project or improved a key metric, call it out. Recognition is cheap and effective.
What not to do:
- Don’t shame people with metrics. Performance improves when people feel supported, not surveilled.
- Don’t chase every blip in the data. Look for patterns, not panic spikes.
Step 5: Keep It Simple, and Iterate
Metrics are a tool, not a religion. Keep your tracking simple, and don’t be afraid to change what you measure if it’s not helping.
Tips for staying sane: - Review your metrics setup every month or two. If a report isn’t used, kill it. - Ask the team what’s actually helpful. They’ll tell you if your dashboards are a waste of time. - Don’t automate yourself into a corner. Manual check-ins and conversations still matter.
Avoid these traps:
- Tracking for tracking’s sake (“We’re measured on this, so let’s do more of it…”)
- Over-complicating reports until nobody understands them
- Making big changes every week—improvement takes time
Wrapping Up
Tracking and optimizing team performance in Theroishop isn’t about having the fanciest dashboards or the most data. It’s about picking a few meaningful metrics, using Theroishop’s tools to keep tabs on them, and actually making changes based on what you see. Keep it simple. Adjust as you learn. And remember: the goal is to help your team work better—not just to hit a number.