Four Steps to Measuring What Matters

by Michael J. Mauboussin on the HBR Blog

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/how_to_pick_the_right_metrics.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HBR.org%29

Read this article to get inisghts into how to pick the right metrics for your library.  We’re learning that traditionbal library statistics may not be working for us any longer.  Transactional numbers like circulation and website hits and collection inventory counts often just direct beancounters where to cut instead of showing the damage that can be done by cuts.

This article gives some direction and insights that should be heeded:

Snippets: “Start with a blank slate and work through these four steps in sequence.

Step 1: Define your governing objective

Step 2: Develop a theory of cause and effect to assess presumed drivers of the objective.

Step 3: Identify the specific activities that employees can do to help achieve the governing objective.

Step 4: Evaluate your statistics.”

I’d add a step 5 – educate about your measurements and commnuicate it well.

Read the article.

Stephen