measure

Number or quantity that records a directly observable value or performance. All measures have a unit attached to them: inch, centimeter, dollar, liter, etc. In contrast, an indicator is an indirect measure or a predictor (such as a leading Indicator) of performance.

I learned this one from Joe Kraus. Merely measuring something has an uncanny tendency to improve it. If you want to make your user numbers go up, put a big piece of paper on your wall and every day plot the number of users. You'll be delighted when it goes up and disappointed when it goes down. Pretty soon you'll start noticing what makes the number go up, and you'll start to do more of that. Corollary: be careful what you measure.

• Repairing Credit by Paying More Than the Minimum Amount Due
• Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
• What Gets Measured Gets Improved
• A Caution on Large Acquisitions