For over 25 years, I have worked in people development fields — human resources, learning and development, volunteer development, training, higher education student affairs, and leadership development.

I've noticed a trend in the way those of us in these areas think about measurement. I think we’ve got it all wrong.

We tend to see measurement as a necessary evil. We didn’t go into this profession to run numbers and most of us aren’t particularly good at it. But over the years, demands from executives and those who hold the checkbooks started to necessitate we measure and report. So, we often approach measurement with a “we must prove our worth” reasoning and attitude.

I understand where this comes from. People development is often seen as a “cost center” because it isn’t easily or obviously tied to revenue. That can make those of us doing the work feel like we’re expendable. Of course, we see the value in the work we do, but it isn’t as simple as measuring call times or sales dollars. So, we get stuck trying to prove our impact. 

This is where we are wrong. “Prove it” energy usually produces more panic than productivity.

Should we be able to show our impact on the business? Definitely, yes.

Should we be able to note how many people are participating in programs? Sure.

Should we know how much our programs and time cost vs. the ROI? You bet.

But none of these are the core reason we need to measure our work. We need to measure for the same reason every other part of the business, cost center or not, needs to measure.

We need to measure what we do so that we can make informed business decisions.

This was a revolutionary thought for me earlier in my career. It was incredibly freeing and logical all in one breath. It made measurement easier and more effective.

Our data should inform our practice and how we work with the rest of the business. It should inform what changes need to be made moving forward. Do we need to iterate? Have we spent too much time and energy in the wrong places? Are we meeting the needs of our stakeholders? Are there trends in participation that show some times of year are better than others to engage with the business? Are there certain assets (say, e-learning or help articles) that are clicked on more than others to tell us what people need?

When we reframe measurement from something we have to do to prove our worth to something we need to do to make decisions about our work, it sheds an entirely new and much more positive light on the subject. Asking, “What data do I need to make decisions about how better to partner with the business, run my team, and do our best work?” is so much different than, “What data do I need to prove that I’m worth the expense?”

If you focus on data for decision-making, proving your worth will no longer be needed. It will be obvious.

This post was originally published in the “L&D Must Change” newsletter on LinkedIn.