Project benchmarking 101

When you track the right project benchmarking metrics, you gain deeper insight into whether or not your projects—and your people—are healthy. But with so many possible benchmarks and data points to track, where should you start?

This guide summarizes key findings from the Benchmarking 101 talk delivered by Rachel Gertz at the Vancouver Digital Project Managers Meetup, recorded on October 21, 2021. It covers what healthy projects look like, why productivity isn't a reliable benchmark, which overlooked metrics matter most, and how to know when it's time to push for change—or walk away.

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Health Over Productivity

Many project managers focus heavily on "productivity," but productivity alone is not a reliable or healthy benchmark. Instead, shift your focus to holistic organizational health, which encompasses three interconnected pillars:

• Project Health: Ensuring projects are sustainable and deliver value without burning out the team.
• Process Health: Having systems that support work rather than creating unnecessary friction or bottlenecks.
• People Health: Prioritizing the well-being of the team, because metrics like employee turnover and stress are far more critical leading indicators of trouble than raw output.

If you track data that ignores the human element, you will inevitably end up with unhealthy projects—even if the spreadsheets look green.

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Key Metrics and Benchmarks

Instead of just tracking hours or delivery speed, consider monitoring these often-overlooked indicators:

Employee Stress Factor

Track burnout levels across your team. If people are consistently working late, skipping breaks, or showing signs of exhaustion, that is a leading indicator that something in your project or process is broken—regardless of what the budget says.

Turnover Rates

High turnover is one of the clearest signals that internal processes or project expectations are unsustainable. When people leave, the cost of rehiring and retraining far exceeds the cost of fixing the systemic issues that drove them away.

Communication Efficiency

How easily does information flow between stakeholders and the team? If critical decisions are delayed because the right people aren't in the loop, your communication process needs attention.

The "One Thing" Metrics

For every project, identify two qualitative benchmarks:

1. The one thing we need to get right to make this project a success.
2. The one thing we're afraid we won't get right.

These two questions cut through noise and help teams focus on what matters most.

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Actionable Insights

Avoid the Productivity Trap

Pushing for more output often leads to scope creep and quality degradation. If you are constantly pushing for change in a high-stress environment, step back and reassess whether the project—or even the client relationship—is worth maintaining.

Build Systems for Humans

Processes should be democratic and humane. If a process requires heroic effort from a single individual to function, it is a broken process. Design systems that work for real people under real conditions.

Conduct Regular Self-Assessments

Audit where your team feels the most friction. By identifying pain points honestly, you can pinpoint exactly where to implement changes that improve both health and performance.

Know When to Walk Away

Not every project or client is worth the toll it takes on your team. If stress is consistently high, turnover is climbing, and the process requires constant heroics, it may be time to have a difficult conversation about scope, timeline, or whether the engagement should continue at all.