A number is a number, but then what is the unit?

In business, we are constantly dealing with numbers. The old adage - "what you cannot measure cannot be managed" is a constant mantra. There is this constant clamor for metrics, measurements, numbers - you name it. In this rush to numbers, the purpose and objective of that number is often forgotten. The common perception is that "we have lot of numbers to measure ... we most be OK".

Outside of measuring, numbers are often used to drive home a message. Either to justify a course of action, to draw attention, or to demand change. It has been almost a fortnight since the number of the brave who lost their lives hit 2000. A great deal of activity, especially in the media was caused by this number - on both sides of the debate.

A number is a number. It cannot exist alone by itself. It needs a defining attribute, "a unit": 9.15 seconds, 100 meters. In this case 2000 "brave, dead". But then, numbers never tell the real story. In this process of defining an event, these cold numbers become more so. Cold. They fail to communicate the reality: it is not a number but the life of a loved one.

We should not pause to reflect when we are faced with 2000. We should pause and reflect for 1. For those not directly affected by the loss of *a* loved one, it is very difficult to comprehend. And for those who like numbers, it is important to remember that the unit behind this number is "loss".