Distinguishing metrics from strategy

Do you feel like you have the information you need to make smart decisions for your organization?

Do you feel like maybe you have too much information? As in, more information than you can use? As in, so much information that it's just overwhelming?

If that's how you feel, you're not alone. Not according to this study released by Oracle last month.

Tons of business leaders are reporting that data-driven decision making isn't a slam dunk win for them — it's just a headache they wish they could avoid.

70% of them said they wish they had a robot to make all their decisions for them. Others said that there's so much data to consider that they've gone back to just trusting their gut.

It all sounds pretty bleak to me.

But here's the thing:

Metrics by themselves are easily overwhelming.

Their meaning and value only appear in the context of strategy.

What's your goal? What's your strategy to achieve it?

Find the metrics that matter in that strategy.

The rest is, for now, just noise. You can look it over later when you're trying to identify your next big goal.

And there will always be one of those.

All the best,
A.