Measure what matters

I'm reading a book, "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr. In the chapter I'm reading today, he references business philosopher (that's a real thing???) Dov Seidman, who says, "What we choose to measure is a window into our values, and into what we value. Because, if you measure something, you're telling people that it matters."

I couldn't agree more. We all know that you can't manage something if you can't measure it. BUT, you have to choose the right metrics. You have to choose metrics that drive the behavior you want.

For instance, in Toastmasters, one of the performance metrics the District has, in order to become a Distinguished District, is club growth - how many new clubs did you add to your District this year? The idea behind that metric is good. Growth is good - right?

An unintended consequence though is that Districts have started new clubs that never should have been started; they weren't viable in the long run. The people doing it weren't bad people and they weren't doing it out of malice. They were doing it so that they could become "Distinguished" Districts and be rewarded as such. They were doing it because Toastmasters, by making that a performance metric, told them that THAT was what mattered - starting new clubs.

What are you telling your people matters to you? It may not be what you think.

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