From the catastrophic quality issues at Boeing to the spread of misinformation on social media, we are witnessing a powerful and dangerous pattern: initiatives designed to improve complex systems are being derailed by an over-reliance on metrics.

This talk exposes the fundamental flaw in our approach, revealing how we apply tools from a "complicated" world to problems that are inherently "complex." We'll explore why metrics only give us a limited glimpse of reality and can lead to unintended, and often catastrophic, consequences.

Drawing on frameworks like the Stacey Matrix, this session will challenge the notion that "if you can't measure it, you can't manage it" and propose a new path forward: one that prioritizes intuitive "sense-making," human collaboration, and adaptive learning, embracing innovative concepts such as flow and trust over the tyranny of numbers.