The problem with blind measurement
Blind measurement can lead to problems at the individual, corporate, and societal levels.
- The wrong metrics can cause unintended consequences. For example, when the British government offered a bounty for every dead cobra in Delhi, enterprising started breeding cobra snakes to get the prize, leading to more cobras.
- People are more than numbers. Much of a company's success relies on human factors that are sometimes impossible to measure, such as enthusiasm.
- When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. When a goal is set, measures can distort incentives.
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Origin of The Cobra Effect
The term ‘Cobra Effect’ originates from Colonial India, which was under the rule of the Britishers. To tackle the problem of the growing number of cobras, the British government announced a bounty on every dead cobra. Enterprising locals started breeding cobras and kept on claiming the bounty...
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