What’s in a number?

Colleagues,

MVP: Don’t confuse the indicator for the outcome.
 
Today, I turn sixty!
 
It has taken me several months to be at peace with that large number, but why?
 
Sixty years is a measure, not an outcome.
 
It does not provide any insight into the quality of my life, the impact I have had on others, or my own state of health and happiness.
 
Nor does 60 say much about what I can expect in the future.
 
Sixty is just a number.
 
So are reading test scores. And sales. And even profits. 
 
And yet those numbers have disproportionate impacts on the work we do and how we do it.
 
We have a propensity for confusing the desired outcome with the measurement:

• We want to live well, but we measure our lives in years
• We want young people to have bright futures, but we focus on raising test scores
• We want to provide quality products and services to people who need them, but we focus on sales volume
• We want to maintain a sustainable business, but we focus only on a dollar number

 
To be clear, the numbers are relevant.
 
However, when we focus on the measure, instead of the actual outcome, we miss the mark.
 
Today’s intention: As you work towards a goal, think about your desired result. Are you working towards a meaningful outcome, or towards the measure of the outcome.
 
Cheers!

Frederick