Management Tip of the Day: Take an Imagination-Driven Approach to Management

Measurement is critical to understanding current and past performance, but data can only tell you so much. Measurement can fall short when you need to predict the future. Many companies have been blindsided by unpredictable changes in the market: see GM and Motorola. To envision the future, use your imagination. Employ qualitative insights, inferences, and logic to help you determine what the future might be like and how your company can adjust, prepare, and be proactive. Think beyond what can be proven with data and use hypotheses and deduction to determine likely scenarios.