I'm at lunch with a bunch of senior technology managers, and one is regaling the table with his latest initiative to improve his software development teams. He's launching a metrics program that will tell him which teams and staff members are the most productive so that he can promote those and fire the worst. This is a professional setting, so I'm trying my best not to roll my eyes. Attempting to get a word in edgeways, I ask what metrics he's using, and follow up by asking him if he's trying to consider business outcomes, at least to correlate them to his measurements. Sadly I'm not getting anywhere, it's hard to convince someone to look for their keys in the bushes instead of under the lamp post.