If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It

Unhelpful Statements

One of Peter Drucker’s maxims was “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”.

I have lots of sympathy for the statement. If you aren’t measuring performance, you can’t see if it is getting better or worse; if you don’t know if it is getting better or worse, you aren’t managing it.

I like a robust argument. But it only takes you so far.

Table Stakes

Measuring is only the start. How should you use the measure once you have it? What did Peter Drucker mean by “manage”?

There are two options (and plenty of shades of grey).

Option 1: Use the Measure for Control

This is the most common approach. Using the measure to control performance is not a bad thing. Unfortunately, although that is what we say we are doing, the reality is different. We use the measure to control people, not performance. We set targets and goals and apply carrots and sticks. You may be able to control people for a while, but it will end badly.

Option 2: Use the Measure for Improvement

You could use the measure to learn by changing your operation and watching to see what happens. Then, with your improved understanding, change something else and see what happens this time—constantly improving as you learn something new.

Using a measure to control people will get you one set of outcomes; using it to improve will get another.

Drucker may have said, “If you can’t measure It, you can’t manage it”.

Lord Kelvin is alleged to have said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”.

Kelvin wins.

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Post Script

Unfortunately, Lord Kelvin said was. “…but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind…”

This demonstrates the value of getting to the point and not waffling on.