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Say-Do Ratio

What is the Say-Do Ratio?

The say-do ratio measures the consistency between what is promised or committed to and what is actually delivered. A high say-do ratio indicates reliability and accountability, while a low ratio suggests overpromising, underdelivering, or a misalignment between intentions and execution.

Uses of the Say-Do Ratio

  1. Building Trust – When teams and stakeholders see that commitments are consistently met, confidence in leadership and execution grows.
  2. Assessing Reliability – It helps evaluate whether individuals or teams follow through on their commitments, which is critical for operational effectiveness.
  3. Improving Execution Discipline – Tracking this metric encourages a culture of setting realistic expectations and meeting them.
  4. Aligning Strategy with Delivery – It provides insight into whether the organization is setting achievable goals or needs to recalibrate its planning process.

What It Shouldn’t Be Used For

  1. Punishing Honest Communication – If used punitively, it can discourage people from making bold commitments or admitting when challenges arise.
  2. Over-Simplifying Performance Measurement – A high ratio does not always indicate success; consistently setting low-risk, easily achievable goals can inflate it artificially.
  3. Discouraging Ambition – Innovation requires some level of risk and experimentation, which naturally leads to some unfulfilled commitments.

Effectively managing the say-do ratio involves balancing ambition with execution while fostering a culture where accountability and adaptability coexist.

Say-Do Ratio in Agile & Scrum

  1. Commitment vs. Delivery in Sprints

  2. In Scrum, teams commit to a Sprint Goal and select work from the backlog. The say-do ratio helps measure how much of that committed work is actually completed within the Sprint.

  3. A high say-do ratio indicates that the team is making realistic commitments and delivering consistently.

  4. A low ratio suggests misalignment in planning, unexpected blockers, or overcommitment.

  5. Predictability & Velocity

  6. Agile teams strive for predictable delivery. A stable say-do ratio helps teams refine their velocity, making sprint planning more accurate over time.

  7. If the ratio fluctuates significantly, it may indicate issues such as:

    • Unclear requirements
    • Scope creep
    • External dependencies
    • Poor estimation techniques

  8. Encouraging a Culture of Realistic Commitments

  9. A strong Agile team doesn’t just commit to what is possible but also learns to adjust expectations based on past performance.

  10. Tracking the say-do ratio helps teams self-correct and foster a culture of accountability without creating fear of failure.

  11. Stakeholder Trust & Transparency

  12. Agile promotes working software over comprehensive documentation, but predictability still matters.

  13. A team that consistently meets its commitments builds credibility with stakeholders, product owners, and leadership.

  14. If commitments frequently go unmet, stakeholders may lose confidence in the team’s ability to deliver.

  15. Continuous Improvement & Retrospectives

  16. The say-do ratio can be an indicator for Sprint Retrospectives, helping teams identify process inefficiencies.
  17. Instead of just looking at completed vs. committed work, teams should analyze the "why" behind any gaps:
    • Were stories too large?
    • Were there unplanned disruptions?
    • Was external dependency management an issue?
  18. This insight allows teams to improve estimation and prioritization over time.

What the Say-Do Ratio Shouldn’t Be Used For in Agile & Scrum

  1. Rigid Performance Measurement

  2. Agile is about adaptability. A lower say-do ratio in one sprint doesn’t necessarily indicate failure—it may highlight valuable learning experiences.

  3. Punitive Accountability

  4. If leadership uses the say-do ratio as a punishment tool, teams may start gaming the system by committing to only safe, low-risk work, stifling innovation.

  5. Micromanagement

  6. A focus on strict adherence to commitments can lead to micromanagement, reducing the flexibility that Agile is meant to provide.

Conclusion

In Agile and Scrum, the say-do ratio is a guiding metric rather than a strict performance indicator. It helps teams assess their predictability, refine sprint planning, and build trust with stakeholders. However, it should be used as a tool for continuous improvement, not as a rigid KPI that discourages experimentation or learning.

Files

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