When chosen wisely, metrics do more than quantify. They clarify. They cut through the fog of busyness and emotion

She walked back into the office glowing. “The meeting was amazing,” she said, eyes alight. “We really connected.”

The client had nodded in all the right places. There were smiles, a few laughs, even an effusive compliment on the slide deck. And the team walked out riding that wave.

But then someone asked the question no one wanted to answer: “Did they say yes?”

The pause that followed said it all.

In the world of work, especially mission-driven work, we often mistake momentum for progress. A great vibe, a crowded event, a passionate discussion.... It all feels like movement. But as every seasoned manager learns, not all motion is forward. Compliments don’t close deals. Enthusiasm doesn’t ensure results.

That is why you need metrics.

When chosen wisely, metrics do more than quantify. They clarify. They cut through the fog of busyness and emotion and help us see what’s happening, not just what we hope is happening.

Did this initiative move the needle? Are we closer to the goal? Has this campaign brought us buzz — or customers?

Metrics ground us, tethering our mission to real-world outcomes.

The Uncomfortable Mirror

Leadership theory has a name for what many of us instinctively do when real progress feels challenging: work avoidance. The term was coined by Ronald Heifetz, and it describes the impulse to busy ourselves with familiar, manageable tasks while sidestepping the harder, more essential work.

We edit someone else’s report instead of confronting what’s off track. We micromanage logistics because strategy feels daunting. We add another meeting to the calendar, convincing ourselves that collaboration is happening, when really, we’re stalling.

In my work at Temech, there was a period when I was involved in everything — the email copy, the flyer design, and the nitty-gritty of program scheduling. It felt responsible. After all, these were real needs. I wasn’t slacking off; I was pitching in.

But one day, I realized that I was so deep in the daily churn that I wasn’t doing the more strategic work that only I could do, that the organization needed me to do. I started shifting my focus.

Metrics can hold up a mirror and ask the uncomfortable but necessary question: Are you doing what matters most?

Because ultimately, it’s not about being busy.

It’s about being effective.

Choosing the Right Metric

So you decide to buckle down and focus more on metrics. Where do you start?

First, realize that not all metrics are created equal. Some are like carnival mirrors — they reflect a distorted picture that looks like progress but quietly leads us off course.

I once worked with a large company that fell into that trap. They shifted their strategy, encouraging reps to prioritize the premium product line. These high-margin offerings were better for the bottom line, and the sales team was fully on board.

On paper, the numbers looked good. But something wasn’t adding up.

Overall revenue plateaued. Growth slowed. And after a deeper dive, the problem became clear: In chasing premium sales, they’d stopped moving volume. The dependable, steady-selling base product had been quietly sidelined.

Incentives had shaped behavior, but not in the direction they intended.

Eventually, they adjusted course. Leadership introduced a new metric: Reps still needed to hit a premium percentage, but it was tied to a baseline volume requirement. Balance was restored.

It was a powerful reminder: A feel-good metric can mask a slow drift from what matters most.

A truly good metric acts like a compass. It may not tell you everything, but it keeps you pointed in the right direction. And direction matters — because metrics don’t just measure work. They shape it.

I’ve seen it over and over.

A clothing brand changed its core metric from total items sold to full-price sales within the first six weeks of the season. The ripple effect was immediate. Instead of flooding shelves with discount-friendly designs, their team focused on what would move quickly — and at full value.

A restaurant shifted from tracking daily revenue to measuring revenue per table. Once the waitstaff understood what management was watching, they began making subtle adjustments to ensure each table maximized its spend.

A service firm swapped number of clients for revenue per client. Suddenly, sales reps weren’t chasing every tiny lead but cultivating better, deeper partnerships.

At Temech, we’ve gone through our own evolution.

In the early years, we measured success by the number of job placements. But over time, minimum-wage jobs became easy to land but hard to grow from. And our goal was to enable women to support their families for the long term.

We shifted. In Phase 2, we began tracking income growth. We weren’t just asking, “Did she get a job?” but, “Is this a job that will help her advance?”

Today, in Phase 3, our focus has moved again. Now we’re focused on creating not just employees, but employers, equipping women with the tools to build businesses that can support others.

It’s not that our old metrics were wrong. They just weren’t asking the right question anymore. And when your metrics stop asking the right questions, your team stops finding the right answers.

So how do you pick metrics that are ideal for you now? Start with these three criteria:

They should tie directly to your mission. If the metric “succeeds,” but your core purpose suffers, it’s leading you astray. Years ago, we had a very promising partnership with a big company. But when we went to see the premises, we realized the atmosphere wasn’t appropriate for chareidi women. On the advice of our rav, we pulled out.

It should be something your team can potentially control. People won’t stay invested in numbers they can’t impact.

It should be trackable in real time. Metrics that lag by months may be useful for reports — but they won’t drive real-time decisions.

Metrics are not just passive indicators. They’re active levers. Use them with care.

Lead vs. Lag Metrics

Imagine standing at the stern of a ship, watching the wake ripple behind you. That’s a lag metric: the aftereffect, the outcome. It tells you where you’ve been.

Lag metrics are useful, even necessary. They include crucial numbers: revenue earned, clients retained, events completed. But they’re all in the past. They show what’s already happened. And as any sailor will tell you: You can’t steer a ship by looking backward.

To change course, you need to focus on the wheel. That’s your lead metric — the thing you can control in the present that influences the result you want in the future.

This core distinction comes from The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling. It’s one of the most powerful shifts a leader can make: from tracking what already happened to investing in what could.

For me, this distinction became especially important on fundraising trips. Sure, I knew how much we’d raised. That was my lag metric. But that number couldn’t guide my next move. It was a wake, not a wheel.

So I started tracking something else: the number of new, meaningful relationships we developed each quarter. Not pledges. Not dollars. Connections. Some led to funding years later, others didn’t — but I was no longer reacting. I was investing.

Lead metrics don’t replace lag metrics. But if you aren’t measuring both, you’re flying blind. One tells you where you are. The other tells you where you’re going — and how to get there.

How 4DX Makes Metrics Work

Too often, we launch a new goal with energy and conviction, but within weeks, it fades into the background. Not because it wasn’t important, but because it was drowned out by the urgent. Somewhere between back-to-back meetings, last-minute requests, and inboxes that never seem to empty, the thing we meant to focus on slid out of sight.

To prevent that from happening, let’s focus on the full 4 Disciplines of Execution, or 4DX — the framework developed by McChesney, Covey, and Huling. The premise is simple, but the results can be transformative.

1. Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG)

The first discipline asks you to draw a line in the sand. Choose one goal — not three, not five — that truly matters. The kind of goal that, if achieved, will make everything else easier, better, or less necessary.

Of course, your other responsibilities don’t disappear. It means that amid the whirlwind, there’s one outcome you refuse to lose sight of. One that gets your best thinking, not just your leftover time.

2. Act on the Lead Measures

Once the goal is set, the next question is: What drives it?

4DX focuses heavily on lead measures rather than lag measures. The point is to shift from watching outcomes to owning inputs.

3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

We all work harder when we can see the score. And not just any scoreboard will do. The best ones are simple, visible, and created for the team — not just the senior staff. It should be immediately clear where things stand.

When a goal becomes something the whole team can track and care about, it begins to take root.

4. Create a Cadence of Accountability

And then comes the heartbeat: the weekly check-in. This is a short, focused conversation where each team member shares what they did the past week, what they’ll commit to next, and what got in the way. This rhythm — weekly, predictable, consistent — keeps goals from fading into “someday.” It turns commitment into momentum.

The 4DX system gives leaders the scaffolding they need to protect the metrics that matter.

Are You Avoiding the Real Work?

Work avoidance isn’t about laziness. It’s about comfort. We gravitate toward tasks that feel familiar, controllable, or immediately gratifying — and avoid the ones that stretch us, challenge us, or carry real risk.

Want to know if you’re stuck in surface-level work? Take a minute. Ask yourself:

Am I doing this because it’s urgent… or because it’s essential? Urgency screams. Strategy whispers. Are you making space to hear it?

Is this task uniquely mine — or could someone else do it better, faster, or with fresher eyes?

Does this action move me measurably closer to our goal — or just help me feel in control?

Am I avoiding discomfort by staying “hands-on”? Hard conversations, bold decisions, and clear direction often sit just outside your comfort zone — and exactly where your focus should be.

And remember: If everything feels like your job, your real job is probably being neglected.

Data with Direction

Metrics aren’t a substitute for vision. They’re what help you hold onto it.

In a world full of noise, data done right helps you see clearly what’s working, what’s wishful thinking, and what needs to change. It pushes back against the fog of busyness and shines a light on the work that actually counts.

And that’s the point.

This isn’t about spreadsheets or dashboards. It’s about staying honest — with ourselves, with our teams, and with the mission we’re here to serve. The right metrics won’t do the work for you, but they’ll make sure you’re doing the right work.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1064)