Allan Macdonald

Words: 700

Time to read: 5 minutes

Introduction

The popular saying “What is measured is managed” frequently appears in social media posts. This adage implies to control and improve aspects of a system’s performance, we must first measure them.

However, adopting a systems thinking perspective reveals a fundamental risk in this approach. If we dissect a system into its component parts and attempt to maximise each part’s performance, as is conventional practice in performance sport, we inadvertently compromise the system’s overall effectiveness.

Systems thinking underscores the complexity and interdependence of these components, emphasising how the performance of a system is not merely the sum of its parts but the product of their interactions. Optimising individual elements without considering their contribution to the whole can lead to suboptimal, or even detrimental, outcomes for the system at large.

This approach highlights the critical importance of viewing performance sports—and indeed any complex system—not as a collection of isolated metrics to be maximised through management, but as a cohesive entity where the interplay between elements dictates the true measure of success.

Measuring Isn’t Managing

There are several basic reasons why measurement alone may not lead to effective management:

Complex Systems Behavior: In the context of performance sports, such as strength and conditioning, the human body operates as a complex system. Interactions between physiological, psychological, and environmental factors can lead to emergent behaviors not obvious or predictable from individual measurements. For example, measuring muscle mass or aerobic capacity might not directly correlate with improved performance in a sport where technique, strategy, and mental resilience hold significant importance.

Dynamic Nature of Systems: Athletes’ bodies and performance capabilities are not static – they evolve over time in response to training, age, environmental factors, and other system inputs. Metrics relevant at one stage of an athlete’s career may become less so as they develop. This requires adaptive training programs responding to the athlete’s changing needs rather than rigidly adhering to conventional metrics.

An athlete recovering from an injury, for instance, might temporarily show reduced performance in standard metrics but could be developing in other areas such as technique or tactical understanding.

Quantification Limitations: Not all crucial aspects of performance sports can be easily quantified, or quantified accurately. Factors such as team dynamics, mental toughness, and the athlete’s ability to perform under pressure play a critical role but are difficult to measure accurately – it is rare to formally measure these.

Relying solely on quantifiable metrics can lead to the undervaluation of these critical but less tangible elements. For example, an athlete’s leadership and morale-boosting qualities might be undervalued if focus is biased towards, for example, physical performance metrics.

Goodhart’s Law: In performance sports, when a measure becomes a target, it often ceases to be a good measure due to gaming the system. Coaches and support staff might focus excessively on improving or maximising specific measurable aspects of performance used as targets, such as sprint times or weightroom numbers, potentially at the expense of overall performance. This narrow focus can lead to overtraining, burnout, injury, and can negatively disrupt synergies in the system.

Unintended Consequences: Focusing on specific metrics can lead to unintended consequences if those metrics do not fully align with the overall goals of the athlete or team. For instance, a focus on reducing body fat percentage in an athlete could lead to nutritional deficiencies or eating disorders, adversely affecting overall health and performance. Similarly, prioritising the rapid return of an athlete from injury by focusing on short-term rehabilitation metrics might result in a longer-term increased risk of re-injury.

Summary

While measurement is a valuable tool in understanding and managing aspects of performance in sports, it is insufficient on its own. Effective management, particularly in the complex systems of performance sports, requires a holistic approach that considers the athlete’s dynamic, interconnected nature, acknowledges the limitations of quantification, and remains vigilant to the potential for unintended, and hard to predict, consequences and metric manipulation. This approach emphasises the importance of qualitative assessment, adaptability, and a focus on overarching goals rather than solely on measurable outputs.