Why We Measure the Wrong Things
When it comes to measuring success, people constantly ask me, “How many socks have you delivered?” It’s a fair question, and I understand why people ask. It’s something tangible to measure, and it gives people a quick understanding of Project Socks. I happily and proudly rattle my latest tally off to them. Right now, I am at 7,981 pairs.
Sometimes I wonder, what if someone asked me, “What are you most proud of about Project Socks?” I wouldn’t rush to say the number of socks I have delivered. I’d think about earning the community’s trust over time. Building six business partnerships that hosted sock drives. Forming relationships with 19 community partners that serve people in need. Knowing that it all started because I picked up the phone and asked one simple question: “What do you need?” I wrote more about those first conversations in my post, What I Learned From Cold Calling 20 Homeless Shelters.
Why Measuring Success Is More Than Numbers
It made me wonder why measuring success so often comes down to what is easiest to measure. Why do we do that? Numbers make complex things feel simple. It’s easier to grasp 7,981 pairs of socks than hundreds of conversations, moments of trial and error, setbacks, trust-building, problem-solving, and the community relationships and business partnerships that made those 7,981 socks possible.
What the numbers don’t tell you is that strangers were hesitant to donate money or socks to a 16-year-old because no one knew who I was. Many shelters understandably weren’t going to rely on a kid they had just talked to over the phone. Businesses wanted to know that Project Socks wasn’t just a short-term school project. Trust was built consistently over months. I had to earn every supporter, and they needed to decide that I was a kid they could trust. Those 7,981 pairs tell you what happened. They don’t tell you what it took to get there.
The more I thought about this, the more I realized this is not unique to Project Socks. We do this all the time. Businesses get judged by revenue instead of the relationships that help drive it. Social media posts are judged by the number of likes instead of the meaningful conversations and connections they create. Students are often defined by their GPA instead of the growth and perseverance that led to it. Numbers reflect what can be counted, but they often fail to capture what really matters.
The socks are easy to count. What it took to deliver them isn’t. Maybe that’s what deserves to be measured most.