Be Cautious What You Measure

Final week, Wells Fargo fired a bunch of their distant staff.

It seems that these staff had been “simulating keyboard exercise” (with a program/gadget that robotically typed keys or jiggled their mouse after they weren’t at their laptop).

Why?

As a result of that’s how these staff had been evaluated:

Not by what number of purchasers they introduced in, nor what number of relationships they fostered, however by what number of hours they had been energetic on their computer systems.

In order that’s precisely what these staff gave them.

Keep in mind, this is similar financial institution that instructed staff again in 2017: “Enroll as many consumers to additional banking companies as attainable.”

The outcome?

Thousands and thousands of unknowing prospects had bank cards and financial savings accounts and brokerage accounts created illegally of their names, lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in fines, and destroyed goodwill for Wells Fargo.

Why did each of those comically unhealthy lapses in judgment occur?

Bloomberg’s ​Matt Levine​ mentioned it effectively:

Two fundamental ideas of administration, and regulation, and life, are:

1. You get what you measure.
2. The factor that you simply measure will get gamed.

Actually that’s only one precept: You get what you measure, however solely precisely what you measure. There’s no assure that you simply’ll get the extra normal good factor that you simply thought you had been roughly measuring.

If you would like arduous staff and measure hours labored, you’ll get plenty of staff browsing the web till midnight.

I stumbled throughout this story final week, and instantly thought how this precise incentive-and-unexpected-results performs out on a regular basis in our lives.

We obtain Duolingo to be taught to converse with a local speaker of their language. Months later, we’re checking in every day so we don’t get yelled at by the Owl, we’re determined to maintain our every day streak energetic…and we will solely say “I discovered a blue ostrich on the library.”

We lie in mattress, waiving our arm above our head like a madman, as a result of our FitBit says we want 500 extra steps to hit 10,000 for the day. (​Right here’s the historical past of the 10k step rule​ by the best way…)

I as soon as “meditated” each single day for six months in order that I might construct my meditation streak in Headspace. Typically I might even open the app and simply let the meditation play so I obtained credit score for it, despite the fact that I wasn’t meditating…THE WHOLE REASON I HAD DOWNLOADED THE APP.

We inform ourselves that we wish to “learn extra,” however then we monitor what number of books we learn. This incentivizes us to learn books shortly (with out retaining any of it), as a substitute of tackling greater challenges like Warfare & Peace or rereading our favourite books to glean extra classes.

WHY can we wish to learn extra? To be taught stuff or to be entertained! The ​variety of books, or WHICH books, doesn’t matter​:

Social media started as a technique to join with buddies. Lately, social media is large enterprise and the solely advertising device for a lot of creators. As a result of these firms monitor “time on app” and “consideration”…social media is now a hellscape of shock.

Probably the most attention-grabbing content material filters to the highest: outrage inducing, factually incorrect, terrible content material designed to enrage and concern monger. Even most of my favourite wellness creators today spend their time making response movies to essentially the most vile wellness misinformation, as a result of that’s the one kind of content material that good points any traction.

(No surprise so many individuals are avoiding the ​Darkish Forest of the Web​!).

All of this stuff weave an enchanting tapestry of how the human mind works, and simply how good our brains are at taking a metric and studying the incorrect lesson from that metric!

What are you measuring?

Nearly all of individuals go to NerdFitness.com to “shed extra pounds.”

That is the one metric that everyone is used to monitoring. Each advert talks about the right way to shed extra pounds quick. They see the quantity on the dimensions and let that quantity decide how they really feel about themselves that day.

That is the incorrect metric to completely deal with:

We don’t actually wish to “shed extra pounds.” What we would like is to lose fats whereas preserving the muscle now we have (or constructing muscle).

If our ONLY aim is weight reduction, extreme calorie restriction and infinite cardio may end in a decrease quantity on the dimensions. BUT! If we don’t change our relationship with meals, and eat sufficient of the best macronutrients and micronutrients, we’ll find yourself feeling torpid, starved, and depressing…after which gorge ourselves as quickly as life will get in the best way.

If we energy prepare whereas consuming sufficient protein and in a caloric deficit, we’ll really shed extra pounds slower than if we simply starved ourselves and did hours of cardio. BUT, we’ll be shedding fats whereas sustaining muscle.

The dimensions ought to solely be ONE a part of how we ​consider our progress​:

In spite of everything, the quantity on the dimensions goes to ​fluctuate from day after day​:

• If we went out to dinner final night time.
• if we ate an excessive amount of salt yesterday.
• If we’re carrying additional water weight.
• If we’re on our interval.
• any variety of causes.

So, as soon as we all know that what we select to trace is vital, how can we use this to our benefit?

What to Observe, What NOT to Observe

Keep in mind, that which will get measured will get improved, so let’s be good about what we’re monitoring.

We will ask, “What do I REALLY wish to occur? Is that this the best metric for that aim?”

• Attempting to “eat higher”: ​Observe your protein consumption ​and variety of fruits/veggies eaten every day. If these are the primary two issues in your plate for every meal, your weight will begin to shift with out your deal with it.
• Attempting to construct a “​seaside physique​”? Nice, let’s ​construct some muscle​. Observe your exercises, and write down precisely what number of units and reps. Then, do ONE extra subsequent time. The aim? Progressive overload for the win! Get stronger,
• Wish to learn extra? Don’t monitor “books learn,” which could end in you selecting shorter books or velocity studying, however as a substitute monitor “time spent studying.” This may embrace audiobooks, rereading previous books, no matter. Deal with your studying checklist ​like a river, not a to-do checklist​!

Lastly, there are numerous issues we in all probability DON’T want to trace, or we ought to be cautious about when monitoring.

There’s an entire group of biohackers who’re prioritizing monitoring the tiniest of particulars throughout quite a lot of metrics, a lot of which don’t matter, or may end in opposed outcomes.

Right here’s one thing we get requested about rather a lot:

Until you’re a diabetic and have been suggested by a physician, you do not want to put on a steady glucose monitor. Non permanent glucose spikes after consuming a meal are completely regular.

(​This podcast​ from my good friend Dr. Spencer Nadolsky does a great job explaining why you don’t want a glucose monitor except you’re diabetic).

Right here’s one thing I used to trace however deserted:

I used to trace my sleep religiously with an Oura ring and AppleWatch, however then I might get anxious in the course of the night time and fear that I used to be ruining my “sleep rating”…which negatively impacted the very exercise I used to be attempting to enhance via monitoring. Lately, I fear far much less about monitoring “good sleep” and simply do what I can to be in mattress for 8ish hours, asleep or not.

And on a much bigger, life philosophy query:

Be cautious of how social media is warping the scorecard you’re utilizing to trace your progress in life! It’s very easy to get sucked into: “Work arduous to make cash to spend it on issues we don’t must impress individuals we don’t even like” Life success isn’t measured within the dimension of our home, or worth of our automotive, or the quantity in our checking account.

Bringing all of it collectively:

With regards to private growth or well being enchancment, it helps to ask: “What am I optimizing for, and does that really assist me get the outcome I actually need?”

We will then resolve if we’re even enjoying with the best scorecard and preserving our deal with the best metric.

I’d love to listen to from you: what’s a metric you USED to prioritize, however not monitor? And what’s the vital metric that you simply’re selecting to prioritize today?

Hit reply on this and let me know!

-Steve