Metric Displacement

Teams optimize against visible metrics while contextual factors remain unmeasured. The gap between what is scored and what matters widens without detection.

## Trigger Signals

• Teams optimize for scorecard over outcome
• Unmeasured costs accumulate silently
• "The numbers look good" despite felt dysfunction
• Contextual judgment overridden by dashboard

## Why It Persists

Metrics are visible. Judgment is not. Leaders who challenge metrics look like they're making excuses. The dashboard becomes the source of truth.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need better metrics"
• "People are gaming the system"
• "The incentives are misaligned"
• "We should add more KPIs"

## Cost of Ignoring

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.

• Teams optimize for scorecard over outcome
• Unmeasured costs accumulate silently
• "The numbers look good" despite felt dysfunction
• Contextual judgment overridden by dashboard

## Why It Persists

Metrics are visible. Judgment is not. Leaders who challenge metrics look like they're making excuses. The dashboard becomes the source of truth.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need better metrics"
• "People are gaming the system"
• "The incentives are misaligned"
• "We should add more KPIs"

## Cost of Ignoring

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.

Metrics are visible. Judgment is not. Leaders who challenge metrics look like they're making excuses. The dashboard becomes the source of truth.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need better metrics"
• "People are gaming the system"
• "The incentives are misaligned"
• "We should add more KPIs"

## Cost of Ignoring

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.

What gets measured gets managed—and what doesn't get measured gets ignored. Metrics become the target rather than a proxy. Contextual judgment is overridden by dashboard performance.

## What It Looks Like In the Wild

Teams optimize against visible metrics while contextual factors remain unmeasured. The gap between what is scored and what matters widens without detection.

## Trigger Signals

• Teams optimize for scorecard over outcome
• Unmeasured costs accumulate silently
• "The numbers look good" despite felt dysfunction
• Contextual judgment overridden by dashboard

## Why It Persists

Metrics are visible. Judgment is not. Leaders who challenge metrics look like they're making excuses. The dashboard becomes the source of truth.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need better metrics"
• "People are gaming the system"
• "The incentives are misaligned"
• "We should add more KPIs"

## Cost of Ignoring

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.

• "We need better metrics"
• "People are gaming the system"
• "The incentives are misaligned"
• "We should add more KPIs"

## Cost of Ignoring

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.

Teams optimize for score while outcomes degrade. Unmeasured costs accumulate off-ledger. The gap between metric success and actual success widens invisibly.