KPI Trap

While at The Fletcher School, I must have heard the phrase rational actor a thousand times. It appeared everywhere in economics, international relations, negotiation theory, strategic analysis, political science, and organizational behavior. The assumption was deeply embedded in the frameworks: actors evaluate incentives, assess consequences, and pursue outcomes aligned with their interests. And honestly, I […]

Most teams aren’t failing—they’re being measured to fail together. “Why can’t we just fix the SEO?”Because SEO isn’t broken. Your incentives are. I’ve been in the room with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, dissecting why their organic performance is flatlining despite massive budgets, smart people, and best-in-class tools. The pattern is almost always the same.