Measuring Down the Wrong Path

The current issue of Wired magazine includes a compelling account of the efforts to make international disaster relief more efficient and effective.

One line in particular struck me:

“In general, post-disaster studies ten to measure “throughput indicators” like how much food was distributed, or how much shelter got provided, instead of “output or outcome metrics” like lives saved or suffering alleviated.”

It’s another situation where measuring the wrong things has led very good people doing incredibly good work down wrong paths… paths that ultimately veer off from their goals.

In the communications space, the equivalent is measuring email messages sent (instead of actions inspired by those email messages), Facebook “likes,” or even classic clip books that measure the number of mentions.

Are you measuring what you mean to?  Are your metrics helping you make decisions that take you closer to your goals?