Wednesday, September 30, 2026

What happens when the measurement becomes the objective?

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Measure call-centre staff by how quickly calls end and calls will end quickly.
 
Whether the customer's problem gets solved is another matter.
 
Give a salesperson a volume target and volume will probably appear. Margin may quietly disappear.
 
Measure social media by engagement and eventually somebody discovers that outrage engages very well.
 
Metrics are useful because they focus behaviour.
 
That is exactly why they are dangerous.
 
People learn what the scoreboard rewards and become very creative at improving the score.
 
The number may rise while the thing the number was supposed to represent gets worse.
 
Measurement is a tool.
 
It makes a terrible purpose.

 
What are you really improving?



 
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