Metrics: Overmeasuring Our Way to Management
Contrary to the popular saying (“if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”), the ability to manage is not dependent on the ability to measure.
In fact, overmeasurement has some serious downsides.
TrustMatters readers have heard this theme before, but I’m happy to say this time it’s being published in the Management Channel at Businessweek.com.
Read the full article at: Metrics: Overmeasuring Our Way to Management
And have a great Wednesday.
Well Said and Articulated.
Thanks
Excellent points! I have always believed that measurements (e.g., specific goals) are a dangerous thing because they have so many unintended consequences. For example, companies provide financial guidance to the investment community. Think of how much manipulation, earnings management, and sometimes fraud that has taken place to ensure a company meets or exceeds its guidance. Hitting the metric becomes the focus of management at the expense of good business practices, ethics, etc.
Great post and article. I get what you are saying. I still believe some level of measurements are necessary. I think the problem is that companies try to measure too many things, the wrong things, or measure incorrectly. From the example in the article, asking a customer to give you a rating from 1 – 10 is a great example of the wrong kind of measurement.