Re: pro- foreign key propaganda?

On May 23, 1:30 pm, Bob Badour <bbad..._at_pei.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> David Cressey wrote:
>
> >>>Well, how do you tell a good metric from a bad one?
>
> >>A good metric, like ROA, reflects the goal.
>
> > And how do you tell a good goal from a bad goal?
>
> In the private sector, that's easy. A good goal is one that maximizes
> shareholder value.
>
> I won't work in the public sector.

I'm not sure if this is what David is talking about, but I've noticed that metrics tend to do a better job of telling you how you're doing than telling you where you ought to go. For instance, it's easier to come up with a metric to measure the success of the iPod than it is to come up with a metric that will tell you that your computer company ought to make a portable music player.

This is not to discount the value of measurement: it's critical. But it's not always sufficient.

Marshall Received on Fri May 23 2008 - 23:50:41 CEST