”Unless you measure it” said some one, “you cannot improve it”. Sounds reasonable. However, I think it is a hypothesis that needs to be verified. I am not doubting its validity. I just have this doubt that it may not work in all circumstances. Here are my concerns:
- How do you pick what to measure? What if it is wrong doesn’t it skew the whole process? Like the grades to judge student performance?
- Can you have multiple alternate measures? If you do, how do you give each one a weight?
But let me leave the theoretical questions and ask you a more practical one?
- How many of you have any kind of metrics to measure your performance/progress/growth? At work? In life?
- How many of you have considered (even just considered) measuring job satisfaction or work satisfaction?
- How many of you have metrics for a Curiosity Quotient? Or Happiness Quotient? Or any one of those umpteen measures?
Frankly, I don’t have any. Once in a while I think about them. It sounds like a good idea but then, I am not sure how to go about it. Because, i know if I use the wrong metric to guide my life, I am going to screw up big time.
One danger of not having a personal quotient, is that you have to live with what others measure you by. If you care about that too much, it may make you a very unhappy person very quickly.