About Greg
Greg Brisendine has been helping organizations measure and improve performance for more than 30 years.
Early in his career, a chance encounter with a process improvement methodology uncovered Greg’s natural propensity for situational assessment and improvement. Since then, his keen eye for human behavior — and uncanny ability to quickly identify the “why” behind the “what”— have allowed him to facilitate positive change for clients in diverse industries including energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, corporate training, and technology. |
Beyond measurementGreg complements his measurement- and process-driven work with a variety of creative projects that explore connection, vulnerability, and what it means to be human. He has been working as an after-hours author, playwright, performance poet, actor, stop-motion animator, blogger and advice-giver since the early days of the Internet. Measuring Success is his first — but likely not his last — book specifically about measurement.
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Interview with the author: a candid Q&A
How did you get involved with measurement?
Way back in the 80s (I know, right?), I worked for Florida Power and Light (FPL) as a meter reader. While I worked there, FPL implemented a quality improvement program that focused on process and problem solving — it was actually based on a methodology that would later become known as Six Sigma — and by chance, I ended up being chosen for a temporary assignment: to learn this methodology, and then teach it to others within the company. The “temporary assignment” ended up being three years long and cemented this evidence-based problem solving methodology and statistical process controls in the core of my being.
After FPL, I moved to North Carolina to study Psychology. I was working with at-risk and troubled youth while earning my degree, and that experience taught me that human behavior is much more arbitrary people would like to believe. In school, I started learning about research methods and psychology: population sampling and statistical methodology. It was then that something came into focus: the relationship of human behavior, measurement, and arbitrariness. I realized that measurement is a choice to focus on some things — which means you're also choosing to not focus on some other things, and that is perfectly fine.
As my career progressed, a common thread emerged. No matter what my title was, I became “the measurement guy” because I kept coming back to a basic truth: you determine the success of any endeavor by measuring the degree to which it does the thing it’s supposed to do. It’s been the way I’ve approached my work since I was in my mid-twenties, and by now it’s just innate and I’m sharing it with others.
Way back in the 80s (I know, right?), I worked for Florida Power and Light (FPL) as a meter reader. While I worked there, FPL implemented a quality improvement program that focused on process and problem solving — it was actually based on a methodology that would later become known as Six Sigma — and by chance, I ended up being chosen for a temporary assignment: to learn this methodology, and then teach it to others within the company. The “temporary assignment” ended up being three years long and cemented this evidence-based problem solving methodology and statistical process controls in the core of my being.
After FPL, I moved to North Carolina to study Psychology. I was working with at-risk and troubled youth while earning my degree, and that experience taught me that human behavior is much more arbitrary people would like to believe. In school, I started learning about research methods and psychology: population sampling and statistical methodology. It was then that something came into focus: the relationship of human behavior, measurement, and arbitrariness. I realized that measurement is a choice to focus on some things — which means you're also choosing to not focus on some other things, and that is perfectly fine.
As my career progressed, a common thread emerged. No matter what my title was, I became “the measurement guy” because I kept coming back to a basic truth: you determine the success of any endeavor by measuring the degree to which it does the thing it’s supposed to do. It’s been the way I’ve approached my work since I was in my mid-twenties, and by now it’s just innate and I’m sharing it with others.
Why do you think measurement is scary for people?
I think people believe measurement requires complicated math — like calculus, for example. (I've never taken a calculus class in my entire life, by the way. I think I was mediocre at Algebra, too.) People have a misconception that they need to be SQL programmers and calculus experts in order to measure, when in fact basic math and a curious mind is enough to get started.
I think people believe measurement requires complicated math — like calculus, for example. (I've never taken a calculus class in my entire life, by the way. I think I was mediocre at Algebra, too.) People have a misconception that they need to be SQL programmers and calculus experts in order to measure, when in fact basic math and a curious mind is enough to get started.
Who is Measuring Success for?
When I wrote the book, I was thinking of people in middle management who are ambitious, who want to grow and do more, but need a little direction and help. These are the people who are being asked to improve results within their scope, but don’t know what to do or how to start; sometimes they aren’t even sure how to answer the questions that are coming their way. The book provides a framework and language to get them started, so they can feel confident in their growth.
When I wrote the book, I was thinking of people in middle management who are ambitious, who want to grow and do more, but need a little direction and help. These are the people who are being asked to improve results within their scope, but don’t know what to do or how to start; sometimes they aren’t even sure how to answer the questions that are coming their way. The book provides a framework and language to get them started, so they can feel confident in their growth.
What sets Measuring Success apart from other books about measurement and KPIs?
What sets this book apart is its approachability—it’s an easy, understandable read for people who aren’t already measurement experts. I’ve read a lot of books about measurement, and so many of them are dense and… I hate to say it, but dull. Measuring Success also highlights and validates the value in the individual's point of view: you know your situation better than anyone, so whatever you think is important is actually important. That's what you should be measuring.
What sets this book apart is its approachability—it’s an easy, understandable read for people who aren’t already measurement experts. I’ve read a lot of books about measurement, and so many of them are dense and… I hate to say it, but dull. Measuring Success also highlights and validates the value in the individual's point of view: you know your situation better than anyone, so whatever you think is important is actually important. That's what you should be measuring.
Chat with the AuthorGet in touch with Greg!
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