There are so many directions a conversation about measurements can go, it’s hard to pick one. Add to that the fact that many of the measurements we use are irrational, and it makes it even harder to determine where to focus our attention. As my key directive, I will use my Pastor’s advice to NOT rail at the darkness, but turn up the light.
With that in mind, I do want to say that having a single unit of measure is incredibly important, and for custom cabinetry manufacturers, I think that unit of measure should be a cabinet (it’s both rational and is the only constant in our sequence of market, sell, estimate, design, propose, engineer, manufacture, deliver and install). However, since all cabinets are not created equal, made from the same materials, or require the same time to process, this “Single Unit of Measure” must be weighted by both Dollars and Man-Hours.
So, if you can’t tell me how many cabinets your company produced in 2022, AND, how many dollars those cabinets generated, AND, how many man-hours were required to produce those cabinets, then you really don’t have measurements, much less a Weighted Single Unit of Measure. If you fall into that category, I have an old Chinese Proverb for you:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
CHINESE PROVERB
Let’s commit to identifying our key measurements, and do whatever is required to be able to know those key measurements for 2023. Let’s do the committing part TODAY so that this time next year we know what our key measurements are, and that we know they are NOT irrational, with the end result being our team is “behaving” rationally all day every day.
