Column · metric becomes target
A metric is chosen because it is observable and correlated with the outcome. Once it becomes the target, effort is redirected to the observable part, and the correlation weakens — sometimes inverts.
Lines of code, hours worked, pages published, words written. Each is a reasonable proxy for effort and a terrible target, because the cheapest way to increase it is to reduce quality.
Pair every proxy with a quality check that cannot be gamed by volume: a refund rate, a retention figure, a review that must be read. Two measures constrain each other; one alone gets optimised.
Page counts are the classic case. A hundred thin pages can outperform a page count target and destroy the asset. The corrective measure is not fewer pages; it is a requirement that each one answer a distinct sentence.
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