Run the numbers - retire into your laptop

Measuring - this cult of obsessive measuring -
as a replacement for managing
has done enormous damage—undermining the souls
of so many of our institutions.

This “managing-it-by-measuring-it”
has been destroying companies
left and right.

“If you can’t measure it,
you can’t manage it.” This is sheer nonsense.

Who ever even tried to measure
the performance of measurement itself,
beyond assuming it is wonderful?

If you can’t measure it, you’ll have to manage it.
If you can measure it,
you’ll especially have to manage it.

Have you ever seen
an acceptable measure of culture?
And who ever came up with
a reliable measure
for the performance of management?

Measuring as a complement to managing
is a fine idea:
measure what you can;
take seriously what you can’t;
and manage both thoughtfully.

Remember judgement?
It’s still in the dictionary.

Have we not had enough of
leadership by remote control?
Sitting in offices
and running the numbers.

We might as well all retire
into our laptops.

I FOUND this piece in an article by Henry Mintzberg from May 2015.

Dream intentionally - while you're awake