The Tyranny Of Metrics

We know that using metrics to track your progress and success is a good idea—but sometimes they can mess with your head. This week, Jonathan and I tackle how to use metrics without becoming enslaved by them:

When nurturing what you already have is more important than trying to reach a specific metric.

How setting extreme goals can work provided they operate as motivation vs. a source of disappointment.

The difference between progress metrics and success metrics—and how to use them to understand the trends in your business.

Using social media metrics in meaningful ways.

The relationship between business maturity and metrics.

How the interrelationship of your services and products can impact how you measure both tangibles and intangibles.

Quotables

“When your estimate is kind of far off the actual, it can be extremely demoralizing.”—JS

“Social media makes it so easy to measure someone by how many followers they have—but that’s not what matters. What matters is how does it move the needle on what you’re doing?”—RM

“You want to look for clients with more business maturity rather than less business maturity. Start-ups don’t have anything to measure—they have no numbers so there’s nothing to move.”—JS

“Look behind the surface level of metrics so that you allow them to show you how you’re doing, but also to feed you in ways that are positive.”—RM