Indicators: Helpers or Hindrances?

"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." Many companies have turned this axiom into a dogma and forsaken the principles that should underlie good management planning and control systems. Using a company case study, the authors offer insights into who should get involved and they propose a four-stage process for how to go about "selecting," "designing," "measuring, implementing and deploying" and finally, "using" a system of indicators. The opportunities and risks identified at each stage serve as a useful guide that readers can apply to their own organizational settings. The authors attempt to lift the discussion away from strictly technical aspects and present the topic more from a manager's point of view, examining the impact of these measurement tools on an organization's ability to function efficiently, as well as considering how they affect people's behaviors and learning processes.