Switching from metric

For me, the Troubleshooter asking: “Is our new head of department a bully?” ( 15 July ) raises the question: is it time we stopped regarding performance metrics as being the same as performance?Bankers’ bonuses were designed to motivate people to achieve corporate goals as defined by metrics. I only know one section of the community that thinks that worked well.We ought to recognise that metrics are a shorthand for reality and do not replace good management practice. This means talking to people, showing them they are valued and designing work to be its own reward. It is, alas, so much easier to put numbers into a spreadsheet and email the results to your staff.