You can’t manage what you can’t measure is a game-changer. It forces you to move from gut feelings to hard data. Once you start measuring, you can truly start improving.
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Meaning
The core message is brutally simple: if you don’t have a number for it, you’re just guessing. You can’t control, improve, or optimize something that exists only as a vague concept.
Explanation
Let me tell you, this is one of those principles that seems obvious in hindsight but is so easy to ignore in the day-to-day grind. I’ve seen it a hundred times. A team thinks morale is “pretty good,” but they have no survey data. A founder feels revenue is “growing,” but they aren’t tracking key conversion rates. You’re flying blind. The moment you start measuring—even if it’s a simple weekly metric—you bring that thing out of the shadows and onto your dashboard. Now it’s real. Now you can ask “why did this number go down last week?” and get a real answer. That’s the shift. From subjective opinion to objective reality. It’s the foundation of every successful scaling effort I’ve ever been a part of.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Business (233) |
| Topics | management (20), measurement (9), results (24) |
| Literary Style | professional (35) |
| Emotion / Mood | realistic (354) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This one is correctly attributed to Brian Tracy and comes from his 2000 book, The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success, published in the United States. You’ll often see it mistakenly credited to Peter Drucker or W. Edwards Deming, who had similar sentiments, but the exact phrasing is pure Tracy.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian Tracy (375) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success (48) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Contemporary (1615) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Brian Tracy, a prolific author gained global reputation because of his best seller book list such as Eat That Frog!, Goals!, and The Psychology of Selling, and created influential audio programs like The Psychology of Achievement. He is sought after guru for personal development and business performance. Brian Tracy International, coaches millions of professionals and corporates on sales, goal setting, leadership, and productivity.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | You can’t manage what you can’t measure |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2000; ISBN: 978-1576750805; Last edition: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; Number of pages: 288. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: The Law of Measurement; Approximate page from 2000 edition |