Are You Improving Performance or Just Changing the Metrics?

When key performance indicators drop, organizations face a critical choice: fix the underlying product issues or change how the metric is calculated. Far too often, companies choose the path of least resistance—redefining metrics to make performance look good on paper rather than solving actual business problems.

This practice of “creative analytics” creates a dangerous illusion of growth. By expanding definitions—such as counting passive email clicks or accidental taps as active user engagement—leadership can report impressive vanity metrics to stakeholders. However, inflating numbers doesn’t generate real customer value or revenue; it simply lowers organizational standards and masks operational friction.

Explore More Comics- Ask Tough Questions With Your Data Analyst

True growth requires measuring metrics that reflect actual customer satisfaction and product utility, not just figures that look clean on a presentation slide.

Before celebrating your next sudden spike in performance metrics, ask yourself:

Did your business actually grow, or did you just change the rules of the game?

Explore More Comics –The Ultimate Goal of Data Analytics