It’s easy to count Facebook likes and numbers of Twitter followers. And we’ve found ways to justify the ‘return on investment’ of a billboard that’s passed by 20,000 people every day.
It’s easy to advocate for doing things that we can measure.
A metric of any kind feels safe, and it’s got deniability built in.
But what’s the ROI of a Google Doodle?
The significance of a clutch of five star reviews on Trip Advisor?
The value of the joy experienced by a customer when a complaint is well handled?
The impact of empathy offered at the right moment?
Impact, connection, loyalty and love can’t easily be measured, which is why business hasn’t traditionally made them a priority. Perhaps it’s time that changed?
Because the things we can’t measure might be far more valuable to our businesses than the things we can.
Image by Ed Yourdon.
