One of my technical mentors was bent out of shape by Celsius.
I used to shake my head at his apparent Luddite attitude. After all, one of America’s great embarrassments is its inability to join the rest of the world in utilizing the metric system. (Multinational companies do it. The military does it. Why not the rest of American society?)
After listening to his denigration of Celsius, I finally asked why he had such a problem with it. His answer was in fact rational and quite interesting.
Consider the difference between a one-degree change in temperature. One degree Celsius is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a loss of precision in switching to Celsius.
By the time a Celsius thermometer registers a one-degree change, people will have already felt the impact.
The performance metrics you use should warn you before something undesirable has already happened. The traditional 19th- and 20th-century financial metrics of last month’s, or quarter’s, sales and profits don’t do it. It’s like trying to drive by looking at the rear-view mirror.
Of course it’s easier to create predictive metrics if you have a clear visualization of where you are going. For a pragmatic take on how to develop, refine, and implement that visualization, review the first two chapters I wrote in the Business Expert Guide to Small Business Success.
If you’re interested in having a facilitated strategic planning meeting that sets your strategy and launches its implementation give us a call.
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