The Perils of Metrics Misapplied

[Bill Moore]

Posted by JMA,

It appears you see the military and 'business' as similar.

I suggest a rethink in that regard would be in order.

One can make an argument that McNamara started this line of thinking during the Vietnam War (and you can tie our failure to it in many ways). I saw this line of thinking really take root starting the in late 1980s and then accelerated through the 1990s when officers getting MBAs were all the rage. MBAs and black belts in Six Sigma (another business school management system) were considered progressive, and also value added when one retired (tells you where their focus was). We transitioned from a focus on warfighting to transformation with the key words being efficiency, metrics, etc., very little deep thought on what it took to win a conflict, or sustain a fight. Again like most posts this is a over simplication of reality, but it does IMO accurately capture a trend.

I am not suggesting we throw out the baby with the bathwater, because management is an essential element of the military, but one can argue we're over managed (policy after policy) and under led. Arguments have already been made that many of our senior leaders have shortcomings when it comes to developing strategies and competent operational level plans. These senior leaders are far from being stupid, but unfortunately they have been pushed through a system that values business management skills more than leadership and warfighting skills.

[Ken White]

I am not suggesting we throw out the baby with the bathwater, because management is an essential element of the military, but one can argue we're over managed (policy after policy) and under led. Arguments have already been made that many of our senior leaders have shortcomings when it comes to developing strategies and competent operational level plans. These senior leaders are far from being stupid, but unfortunately they have been pushed through a system that values business management skills more than leadership and warfighting skills.

Well writ!

[Surferbeetle]

'Business' is not the enemy.

Business is indeed a chaotic place, without the familiar rules and hierarchy of the military, however in learning how to swim and fish in the waters of business we learn how to wean ourselves from mother state...

This is not to say that they evil people do not swim in the waters of business and hurt the many however. Same as anywhere else, beware the sharks...

[Ken White]

They abound and are often well camouflaged...