> And that's precisely why number of tickets is just part of the story Hopefully one you are wise enough to keep to yourself :). I've seen so many problems eve

> And that's precisely why number of tickets is just part of the story Hopefully one you are wise enough to keep to yourself :). I've seen so many problems even with the use of relatively sane metrics. > what would you suggest to use to all those folks who are building new team? Management, not metrics. At best you can use metrics as a rule of thumb to give you early indicators of possible issues. For a new team though you need to work together with them for a while to learn about their performance and capabilities. There is no other way. Perhaps one guy in your team is thoughtful and methodical and takes a week per issue but can solve complex issues, and another girl in your team can fly through half a dozen simpler issues in a week. That's actually the kind of diversity you want to encourage and it's something you can easily destroy if you consider #tickets closed an important metric. You should never mention metrics as a measure of performance with either your subordinates or your superiors. Your subordinates will work to the metrics rather than do what needs doing. And your superiors will start relying on the metrics instead of on your judgment. For example if you collect and use the #tickets solved per month as a metric then if you need to downsize your manager will say lets get rid of the people solving less than x tickets per month. Oh wait that includes some of your best people! Now you have an uphill battle, especially if you have used the #tickets closed as a reason to promote someone in your team. Edit: Basically the potential gains are minimal and the potential issues are numerous.