The act of measurement changes both the event and the observer.
In any social situation of the kind we deal with in enterprise, the act of measurement is neither objective nor neutral. It is subjective and of necessity biased. It changes both the event and the observer. Events in the social situation acquire value by the fact that they are being singled out for the attention of being measured. The fact that this is or that set of phenomena is singled out for being “controlled” signals that it is considered to be important. Controls in a social institution such as a business are goal-setting and value-setting. They are not “objective.” They are of necessity moral. Controls create vision. They change both the events measured and the observer. They endow events not only with meaning but with value. And this means that the basic question is not “How do we control?” but “What do we measure in our control system?”
ACTION POINT: Remember, “What you measure is what you get.” Ensure that every measure of performance is pertinent to the achievement of a goal or value of your organization. Otherwise, you risk misdirecting your organization.
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices
* Source: The Daily Drucker by Peter F. Drucker