I was reading a book recently that talked about the numbers which churches often track in order to verify or deny their success. Those numbers are typically the offering and the attendance.

We do that in business, too. We want to look at sales and number of accounts.

No one is denying that some statistical analysis is a good idea but it is just one tool in analyzing an organization's effectiveness. Unfortunately, it is also sort of a "lagging" tool in that, by the time your numbers are effected, the cause for their change (good or bad) has probably long since passed, making it more difficult to make the connection and draw conclusions.

If your organization's mission is all about putting up certain numbers, then strictly paying attention to numbers makes a lot of sense. Otherwise, it really doesn't.

Any organization should really examine its mission, as well as all parts of its vision, and figure out how to measure success toward those specific goals. If the mission and vision are good, and if they are being successfully sought and attained, then the numbers will follow. Not the other way around.

Unfortunately, many organizations and individuals out there with a strong numbers orientation, have that all backwards.