24/09/2026
Not Everything That Matters Is Easy to Measure
I’ve been thinking recently about how much attention we give to what can be measured.
Performance.
Outputs.
Targets.
Engagement.
Delivery.
Progress.
All important.
But this photograph from my son’s recent wedding made me think about the things that are much harder to capture.
Trust built over time.
The conversation someone remembers years later.
The person who felt safe enough to speak honestly.
The confidence somebody developed because another person saw something in them before they could see it themselves.
The culture created by hundreds of small interactions that never appear on a dashboard.
In organisations, we understandably want evidence that development is working.
But I sometimes wonder whether our desire to measure development can cause us to overlook some of the places where it is actually happening.
Because not every meaningful shift announces itself immediately.
Sometimes it appears later.
In a decision someone makes differently.
A boundary they finally hold.
A conversation they no longer avoid.
The way they respond under pressure.
Or the way they begin to lead when nobody is watching.
Perhaps part of good Organisation Development is learning to pay attention to what can be measured, without becoming blind to what can only be noticed.
There’s a difference.
And I think both matter.
