# Measuring the Unmeasurable By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-08-12 Despite all the talk about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), only some places implement or use them productively. On one side, organizations move through existence without knowing where they are going or whether anything is getting better. Here KPIs are intended to provide some directionality regarding progress. Those who are against KPIs often argue that not everything can be measured. This is often true, but there are plenty of ways of measuring proxies of unmeasurable things. For example, can you measure employee satisfaction? It's objectively hard to do. But one can survey how employees are feeling. It's not perfect but it establishes a baseline for discussion and thinking. Ultimately, this is what matters when it comes to KPIs: they should spark thought and discussion. Even the worst KPI metrics can provide a dialogue for progress and understanding. For example, some believe revenue is either the best or worst KPI. It is good because most organizations can't survive with zero revenue. It is bad because it naturally incentivizes "bad" behaviors if left unchecked. Regardless of one's perspective, the discussion about why revenue went up over the last month is productive in generating a deeper understanding of the system and behaviors. Once one understands how something approximately works, one is left to decide what to do about it. Here goals, values, and beliefs come into play. Without something clear to point to that each reveals someone's inner beliefs and values, everyone is left guessing. Uncertainty of purpose combined with a lack of trust destroys all organizations. Values and beliefs cannot be measured but are at the core of progress and activity. Paradoxically, measuring something reveals the shape of the unmeasurable if one chooses to ask why. #### Related Items [[Metrics]] [[Organization]] [[Performance]] [[Progress]] [[Measurement]] [[Paradox]]