Quote Originally Posted by Pragmatic Thinker View Post
Ken,
Thank you for clarifying that point because I was about to ask you what military you served in prior to retirement? Sit in any staff especially O-6 and above and it becomes apparent that "metrics" are used to measure everything especially when we're trying to paint a positive result in some endeavor. It helps our human minds 'frame' success using numbers... I agree they don't mean all that much but they are out there.
PT
I think the absolute overemphasis on metrics stems from two sources; Business School graduates in uniform and an over reliance on 'data' to 'prove' things to the excessive number of 'consultant's and think tanks we hire. Fallacious logic on both counts IMO. All three counts, in fact.

Screw up manufacturing Widgets and you sell the bad ones at a discount and get a tax write off for the whole thing. Screw up in combat and someone's going to die unnecessarily. Business and Soldiering are not at all compatible.

Had a Battalion Commander once, good guy. Had two big charts behind his desk. One had "Things that are important" and listed AWOL, DR, Article 15s, etc. The other had "Things that are unimportant" and listed Indiv Tng, Marksmanship, ARTEP completions etc. He was being sarcastic. The Bde Commander tolerated (and agreed with) the charts. The first General that saw it pitched an absolute fit and the Charts disappeared...

Yes, 'metrics' are out there -- and most do more harm than good IMO...