The Dark Side of Optimisation

Organisations are increasingly preoccupied with quantifying and optimising every facet of their performance. Metrics promise objectivity, transparency, and a straightforward means of holding people accountable. Yet when a measure becomes a target, it frequently ceases to be a reliable measure. Hospitals judged solely on waiting times may prioritise speed at the expense of thorough care. Schools assessed by exam results may be tempted to narrow the curriculum to tested subjects. In each case, the indicator improves while the underlying goal quietly deteriorates. This is not necessarily a matter of dishonesty, but of perfectly rational adaptation. The remedy lies not in abandoning measurement, but in combining it with professional judgement. Some of the qualities we value most are, by their very nature, resistant to quantification.