The McNamara Fallacy is a concept named after Robert McNamara, the former United States Secretary of Defense. It refers to the tendency to measure the success of a project or policy based on easily quantifiable metrics, while ignoring more important but harder-to-measure factors.
The fallacy is often summarized as:
“We measure what we can, not what we should.”
This fallacy arises from the assumption that what can be measured is more important than what cannot. In reality, the most crucial aspects of a project or policy may be difficult or impossible to quantify, leading to an incomplete and misleading picture of success.
The McNamara Fallacy has been applied to various fields, including business, government, and military strategy. It serves as a reminder to consider both quantitative and qualitative factors when evaluating success and making decisions.
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