Metrics can make all the difference in the world.
For good or for bad.
Here are 10 kinds of metrics that can cause you problems.
- Contextless Metrics – No proper context to interpret them
- Ambiguous Metrics – Vague and open to multiple interpretations
- Misaligned Metrics – Don’t align with strategic goals or objectives
- Overhead Metrics – Require excessive effort to collect and maintain
- Skewed Metrics – Present a biased or distorted view of performance
- Vanity Metrics – Look good but don’t lead to actionable improvements
- Input Metrics – Only demonstrate compliance, not outcomes or results
- Unreliable Metrics – Inaccurate input data leads to questionable output
- Gameable Metrics – Can be manipulated without making improvements
- Misleading Metrics – Appear to show good outcomes but hide real issues
This list can make your life better in 3 simple steps:
- Get a metric you or your team is measuring now.
- Compare it to this list of 10 and see if you find a match.
- No match? Good, keep rolling. Possible match? Time for a conversation.
One final hint:
The goal of any metric is to have a conversation or make a decision.
So if your metric doesn’t spark conversions or decisions, ask why.
That particular metric might not be needed after all.