Metrics versus Stories: What Matters Most?

In my work with clients on large projects, I've seen the importance of stories over and over again. It's always hard to break down how we should use stories in our work, but they are everywhere—in the way you communicate with your team, with your clients and outsiders, and even internally within your company. 

  What do metrics measure? 

 Metrics are a way to measure the progress of a project. They can be quantitative or qualitative, and they're often used to measure the effectiveness of a project. 

  Quantitative metrics – These are numbers that describe how something is doing (like changes in standardized clinical assessments). 

 Qualitative metrics – These are words that describe how something is doing (like levels or scores on satisfaction questionnaires). 

 Qualitative metrics can be useful for determining the effectiveness of a project, but they're often subjective and difficult to compare with one another. Quantitative metrics are better for measuring progress because they allow researchers to see how something is doing over time and use objective criteria like whether a patient meets certain clinical standards. 

  What does the story tell? 

 As an agency, you’re going to have the opportunity to tell stories. Stories are about people, not just numbers—they're about the impact of your project and how you overcame challenges. A good story can do more than just impress potential clients and funders; it will also help them understand what makes you different from other agencies providing similar services.. 

We've found that when we share our successes with clients or funders or policymakers, they're much more likely to trust us enough to want us as their partner on future projects (and vice versa). If you’re looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, then it's time to start telling stories. And don't forget: if you're going to tell your story, make sure it's memorable! Putting it together. You can use metrics to tell the story of how your project is doing, and stories to tell the readers of its success. 

The best way to understand this is with an example: imagine you’re working on a new treatment approach for substance use disorders. You've trained your clinicians on the new approach, tested it with potential clients, and have seen great results so far—but there's one problem: the community is not making referrals to your new program! 

If you were using storytelling as your method for communicating this information with others in the organization (and perhaps even outside), here are some ways we might do things differently: 

We could use metrics to tell the story of how our new service is doing. For example, we might say: "Our new approach has increased client engagement and satisfaction with services by 20% since we began using this new approach." This is useful information for many people in the organization, but it doesn't explain why or how that happened. 

We could use stories to describe how our new product is successful. For example, we might say: "Satisfaction with our new approach to SUD treatment has increased by 20% since we started using the new approach—and all because of one client who loved it so much he wrote a letter to his friends telling them about how much better it made their lives." This tells us not only what happened (increased satisfaction) but also why and how (this one client spreading the word). 

Both metrics and stories are important to tell the story of success for your project. Both metrics and stories are important to tell the story of success for your project. Metrics show how much progress you are making toward your goals, while stories convey what those goals mean in practical terms. The difference is that metrics are quantitative, while stories are qualitative. 

Both metrics and stories should be used to maintain focus on what matters most: How can we create something valuable for our clients? What makes us unique? When you are struggling to get work done, it can be tempting to focus on metrics. After all, metrics are easy to measure and track—they give us a clear idea of what we’ve accomplished. But metrics can also distract us from the larger picture; they can make us think that our project is further along than it actually is. 

We know that there’s a lot to cover as far as metrics and stories go, but we hope this post has helped you understand the importance of both. For example, if you’re using a story to explain your project or business model, consider using numbers as well so that people can see concrete evidence of success in their own lives.