Metrics Myopia: Is Obsession with Numbers Tanking Your Strategy?

I have loved statistics since I was a little boy pouring over my baseball cards. Statistics are valuable tools. They provide insight, track progress, and help businesses measure success. But just as they illuminate, they can also distort. Growing up a Mets fan, I often heard Ralph Kiner, the baseball Hall of Famer, repeat the famous line, “There are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics.” He used this phrase to highlight how data can mislead when misinterpreted or misused. As a business leader, you know this problem isn’t just confined to sports; it’s widespread in organizations right up to the C-Suite. And CX practitioners know it’s all too common for organizations to become fixated on metrics. This obsessive focus on numbers can blind companies to the bigger picture, leading to what I call metrics myopia.

What Is Metrics Myopia?

Let’s borrow a concept from optometry. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition in which you can clearly see objects up close but distant objects become blurry. In business, metrics myopia happens when an organization focuses so intensely on short-term metrics that it loses sight of its broader, long-term strategic vision.

This obsession often comes from a desire to rely on concrete data for decision-making. Numbers make us feel like we have solid ground in an abstract world. But when teams or leaders prioritize metrics over meaning, they risk making decisions that sacrifice long-term success for short-term gains.

The Danger of Surrogation

In my experience, metrics myopia is often tied to a psychological phenomenon called surrogation. Surrogation occurs when employees or leaders mentally replace the overarching strategy with the metrics used to measure it. Instead of viewing numbers as indicators of success, they begin to see them as the end goals. The simplest example of this is overly aggressive sales goals. The most egregious example of this is the push by Wells Fargo to “build long-term relationships” with customers that led to cross-sell goals, which in turn led agents to unlawfully open over 3 million new customer accounts without their permission. If you are thinking “how can that possibly happen?”—you are not alone.

But the answer is simple. Surrogation distorts value creation. Metrics, intended as tools, can take on a life of their own, hijacking strategy and blinding companies to opportunities for real improvement. In the Wells Fargo case, the cost was enormous in both reputation and actual financial costs with fines in the hundreds of millions.

The Problem with Chasing Numbers

I want to be clear—data and metrics are essential. They provide valuable benchmarks and help guide business decisions. But when organizations become overly reliant on them, they risk losing focus on the actual customer experience, and especially the employee experience.

Consider this simple Call Center example: A company might pride itself on low call handling times in its customer service department. The data shows calls are resolved on average in less than 3 minutes, a seemingly positive outcome. However, in pursuit of these metrics, agents might rush through interactions, leaving customers unsatisfied or unheard. The metric of “speed” becomes more important than the quality of the interaction. In this scenario, the company is so nearsighted—focused on immediate results—that they fail to see the long-term damage being done to customer loyalty.

The Perils of High Metrics Myopia

In optometry, high myopia, a severe form of nearsightedness, can lead to serious eye health problems like retinal detachment or macular degeneration. Similarly, high metrics myopia can damage your business long-term if not addressed.

When organizations emphasize short-term data points, they risk pathologically damaging their strategy, culture, and customer relationships. Metrics cannot capture the full complexity of human experience. An over-reliance on numbers can lead to a deterioration of customer trust, employee morale, and, ultimately, your success.

How to Avoid Metrics Myopia

The first step in avoiding metrics myopia is recognizing it. If your organization consistently talks about hitting targets but rarely discusses the broader vision or customer outcomes, you might already be in danger.

Here are three ways to combat metrics myopia:

Reinforce Strategy Over Stats: Understand and continually discuss the “why” behind your numbers. Metrics are a tool to measure success, not the goal itself. Focus conversations on how your strategies impact customer experience, rather than just reporting on data.

Embrace Qualitative Feedback: Numbers can’t tell the whole story. Include qualitative data in your strategy, such as customer testimonials or employee feedback. These insights provide context for the metrics and help identify areas where improvements may be needed.

Encourage Critical Thinking: Foster a culture where employees are encouraged to question metrics. Are the numbers genuinely reflective of success? Are there unintended consequences of focusing on one metric too much? Critical thinking will help ensure that your strategy remains aligned with long-term goals.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Numbers Steal the Show

Metrics should support your strategy, not replace it. Data is an essential part of any business, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. When an organization develops metrics myopia, it risks missing out on long-term growth and sustainable success.

By adopting a balanced approach—using metrics as one of many tools in your decision-making process—you can ensure that your strategy remains customer-focused and that your organization is poised for long-term success rather than just short-term wins.

Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash

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