Measuring What Matters

A couple of years ago, I decided to take up walking as a form of exercise. I laced up my sneakers, popped in my earbuds, and set out on an idyllic 3-mile loop around a picturesque hill. However, despite all the enthusiasm, I did not continue that endeavour for more than a few walks.

Fast forward to today. I've resumed my walking routine and so far have been able to walk the same loop for 5 weeks straight.

This got me thinking … what was different this time? It is the same me - in fact, you can argue I am older and less fit than before. So why has it been easier this time around?

I believe the answer lies in how I was “measuring my walk”.

In the first instance, I measured everything: steps, speed, distance, and heart rate. I was motivated by the numbers, at least initially. I wanted to see improvement. I wanted to see trends. But what happened was interesting.

The first couple of walks were great. My numbers improved. But soon enough, I had my first “bad” day. Right after day, I lost motivation. Doubts started to creep in as to whether I would be able to improve my metrics. I started to find reasons (excuses!) to not go. Eventually, after a few more half-hearted tries I stopped walking.

The second time around — I ditched my Apple device. Instead of being a slave to numerical metrics, I decided to walk to get to the bench on top of the hill from where I could enjoy the sunrise. The result - I have been walking every day for 3 weeks. In fact, I now find it easier to walk those 3 miles and have started to look forward to it every day.

In the first instance, my daily stroll had turned into a competition against myself, where numbers ruled the experience and I eventually gave up. In the second instance, I found joy in the journey and the numbers ended up improving as a result of it.

This experience got me thinking: In our obsession with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics, are we missing the forest for the trees?

I'm not saying numbers aren't important. As someone who has been running analytics teams for the better part of a decade, I get it—what gets measured gets managed.

But somewhere along the line, we've allowed these metrics to overshadow the purpose of why we started doing something in the first place. We've become fixated on quantifiable results, often at the expense of quality and sustainability.

Imagine applying this philosophy to the business world. What if, instead of merely focusing on quarterly profits or the number of new customer sign-ups, businesses also placed emphasis on metrics that aren't so easily quantified? Things like customer satisfaction or employee well-being might not fit neatly into an Excel sheet, but they're crucial for long-term success. And when those qualitative aspects are taken care of, the numbers often follow.

It's easy to forget that running a business, much like going for a walk, isn't just about the end result. The journey itself has inherent value, and it's through the process that we grow and learn. I used to think that walking faster or covering more ground meant I was "better" than I was before. Now, I realize that those were just proxy metrics—they didn't reflect why I started walking in the first place.

Instead of just asking, "How many products did we sell this quarter?", maybe we should also be asking, "How many customers walked away truly satisfied?" or "How many employees feel genuinely engaged in their work?" If we take care of these quality-oriented metrics, we'll see a natural improvement in the more traditional, quantifiable ones.

My walking experience also suggests that habits are more sustainable when they're built on a foundation of intrinsic enjoyment or meaningful purpose, rather than extrinsic validation from metrics or KPIs. The walks became easier and more enjoyable when I shifted my focus from achieving specific numerical goals to simply relishing the experience. Similarly, businesses could benefit from creating cultures where the focus is on building positive habits—both within their teams and in their customer base.

We live in an age where everything is quantifiable. We have more data at our fingertips than ever before, and the temptation to use this data to measure and quantify every aspect of our lives and businesses is stronger than ever.

Perhaps, at a time when instant gratification and short-term thinking are the norm, we should reconsider our obsession with metrics and KPIs. Just like my 3-mile walk experience, by focusing on what genuinely matters, the journey will become more enjoyable, and the odds of reaching our destination—whether it's personal well-being or business success— will actually increase. As Einstein said so succinctly,

Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted

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