2040's Ideas and Innovations Newsletter, Issue 48: Do You Measure Outputs or Outcomes?
How do you and your organization measure accomplishments and achievements?
Issue 48: March 24, 2022
In an Industrial Age mindset, output was believed to be the only measure as maximizing production efficiency became something close to a religious mantra. In today’s Knowledge Age era, outcome, actually accomplishing a strategy or goal is the real measure that determines outcome not output. In a marketplace that values what an organization stands for and its effect on all real and perceived stakeholders – and the planet – it’s surprising that outcome and impact are not embedded more strongly into a balance sheet. We propose that strategic results should have higher standing to operational results, with associated measures. And above all, organizations need to measure what matters, which is outcomes and impact, not metrics defined by an industry, competitor or measurements found on the internet.
In a recent meeting with Bob Willig, CEO of the Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME), sh…
