Good Vibes with DataVibe

Disclaimer: DataVibe was Founded by David Cummings who is also the Founder of Atlanta Tech Village (read: he's my boss), but he also has no idea I am writing this. So, there's that.One of my weaknesses as a leader is creating and tracking strong, detailed, measurable metrics. One of my strengths is that I am a big picture, bottom line kind of gal. I can set goals and meet them all day long. We need to hit x amount in revenue? Got it. We need to bring in x amount of new members for growth? Done. We need to curate a community of awesome people? Intangible, but right up my alley.I naturally operate with a high sense of urgency, love getting stuff done, and can push through a lot of challenges to achieve any bottom line goal we set, but the minutia of setting and tracking the metrics for each goal? That is hard for me. And in my mind, it's not nearly as exciting so it doesn't get prioritized.So when David Cummings' new startup DataVibe was introduced, I had to put on my "oh boy" positive leadership attitude. DataVibe aligns strategy with real-time metrics and updates. I was not super excited about the value of tracking all these detailed personal and team metrics (that's just not my jam), but I dove in with our team and we started using their platform.Bottom line- I should not have devalued systematizing those goals and metrics because I have greatly appreciated the value DataVibe has brought to me and to our Atlanta Tech Village team. So to all those people out there who think they don't have time to track and set goals and metrics? I hear you, that was me. But I was wrong. DataVibe is sending me good vibes.Here are 5 ways I think it will win you over too:

1. Transparency

Did you know management transparency is the top factor when determining employee happiness? The cost of improving transparency is almost zero, but requires an ongoing dialogue between management and staff and DataVibe has helped us achieve that.Even though we are a small team, every person still did not know what each other person was accomplishing - and that's okay. But seeing those big metrics and goals of your team members and bosses in writing immediately created a transparency for us that was not there before. We now know what is being worked on that day or that week, and it allows the entire team to participate in company goals and cheer on their colleagues in their personal goals. Transparency creates trust. Trust that we are all working hard in the same direction, and that makes for a strong, healthy team.

2. Motivation

Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and sitting back and waiting for things to happen, and it's the crucial element in setting and attaining goals. Our team is full of top talent and great hires. But no matter how intrinsically motivated the best team members are, everyone needs a little direction.DataVibe provided the platform for us to create goals that gave us direction and keeps each of us actively engaged in reaching them. We have tangible opportunities to better ourselves and show everyone what we did. Metrics provided a concrete way to determine how effective, motivated, and productive each team member actually was. And of course some friendly competition doesn't hurt. If you are the only one not working towards those goals, that tells you something... and it's probably not good.

3. Accountability

Did you know even a poster with eyes on it can change how a person behaves? The illusion of being observed impacts the choices we make every day. When the Village team started using DataVibe it was with a "we are all in this together mentality". We reviewed goals set as a company, created team goals, and set personal metrics. Then we all watched them, and eyes on those goals increased our accountability and follow through thousand fold. Simply writing them down and making them public, creates focus and accountability.

4. Personal Growth

We have a young team. They are smart and ambitious, but while they were supported in personal and professional growth, they were not actively seeking it. So we had each of our team members thoughtfully select 3 personal growth goals they wanted to achieve each quarter and choose how they would track it. Simple but amazing. This immediately created a pause and focus that was not there before.Our team is reading more, speaking more, sitting in more workshops, networking, and intentionally learning. We have a new focus on education- that was set by and being led by our team. Their personal goals are visible to everyone and the metrics are being actively tracked. It created a culture shift for us by setting goals that would be seen and applauded as each of us worked to achieve what we wanted. It was a simple task that will have great dividends in the future for us as individuals, and for our company.

5. It works.

The process of setting these metrics and goals for the Village team triggered great, healthy discussions. Using DataVibe has created transparency, encouraged personal growth, motivated us, and kept us accountable. All of these things make for a better, healthier team. Employees in a positive mindset are generally more committed to an organization and therefore more productive. That is a win for all of us.So look at me, mom. I am setting measurable metrics for my goals and loving it! Well, at least liking it. =)