Measuring the right things

What is the impact you have?

To improve my impact I must be able to assess it and then assess the delta in it when my actions vary. Said plainly - can I see what the results of my actions are and then see their increase or decreased effect based on changing my behavior? While this is simple in concept, it is actually quite complex. Very rarely in life are there such linear relationships. A dependent variable is often subject to the measured influence, but also subject to influences that are unable to be controlled for and may not have even been recognized. The measure of the impact must be regularly, reliably, and predictably seen. There must also exist the possibility that the impact being applied and measured may only be a single variable in the outcome desired. Let's use growing a green lawn as an example. Adequate irrigation is an influential variable in the growth of a vibrant lawn. If the inches of water provided to the ground is being measured, will that secure the outcome? Of course not! The days of sun, the temperature of the ground, the presence of invading weeds, all of these are known to change the success of a verdant lawn. The amount of water applied cannot regularly, reliably, or predictably impact the growth of the grass. But it is important! What is also important is that the amount of water applied be done so in an appropriate timing. Imagine if the entire summer’s irrigation occurred in a 24 hour period? While the amount of water applied to the lawn would be appropriate for the time period of 3 months, simply applying the needed amount of water will not meet the needs of the grass, in fact it will likely destroy any opportunity for growth at all. However, making the association with that amount of water to the death of the lawn would also be inappropriate. The pace of the water being applied is yet another variable that must be recognized as an uncontrolled influencer. If I am to successfully measure the impact of my irrigation efforts, I must measure the water applied to the ground over time….and that only. While my irrigation efforts are important to the growth of the lawn, making the errant assumption that the amount of water over time can regularly, reliably, and predictably influence the growth of the grass is overreaching. All too often we make the same overreaching error in measures of our own impact. We may have identified a key variable that influences the outcome we wish for, but we fail to limit our measurement to the action we control and tie our impact to an outcome we cannot. How then do I measure the impact of my work? Of my life even? I do not have a clear answer. What I do know is that I must begin by recognizing where I am measuring the wrong things, or perhaps the right things but making overreaching assumptions of my impact on them. I must be aware of the pacing over time of these actions vs. just the volume of activity lest like the rainfall I destroy any opportunity for reasonable growth. I must hold lightly the beliefs that I have recognized or have mastery of the variables in play. I must look diligently for the variables that I cannot control nor influence and when they are not in my favor resist becoming self critical or the temptation to abandon my stable actions that are able to lend influence to my desired outcome.

It is my ability to actively participate, mindful of my actions, and constant in my openness to the recognition of new and previously unseen variables that is paramount. Perhaps that is what should be measured.

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