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xkcd #2899: Goodhart's Law
(imgs.xkcd.com)
Alt text:
[later] I'm pleased to report we're now identifying and replacing hundreds of outdated metrics per hour.
But how else can the corporate bureaucracy hold its grip on people otherwise? The metrics are as necessary as catehism for catholicism.
The corporate bureaucracy is as much a product of the overall system, and just as much a slave to its incentives, as you or I. Though granted, the level of self-awareness of their role in the system is on average pretty low. With few exceptions, there is nobody at the wheel of problems like these. Worrying about whose fault it is is usually a waste of time.