FROM METRICS TO MEANING: REFRAMING THE USE OF PERFORMANCE DATA IN HIGH-STAKES ENVIRONMENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64255/mamz1m14Keywords:
Monitoring, military , Decision-Making, Analysis, Injury, Athlete, Technology, AIAbstract
In both elite sport and military performance settings, the proliferation of data collection technologies has led to an era of unprecedented measurement, but not necessarily better decision-making. We challenge the current fixation on data volume and precision, arguing that without context, interpretation and narrative, performance metrics risk becoming noise rather than insight. Drawing on parallels between intelligence analysis and performance monitoring, a reframing of how data is used is proposed: from passive recording to active sense-making. By prioritising meaning over measurement and fostering interdisciplinary fluency between analysts, coaches and athletes, clarity and purpose can be restored to data-driven performance systems. This paper outlines a new framework for using performance data in high-stakes environments, centred around five key principles to encourage ‘leading with questions’, ‘measuring what matters’, ‘personalising the picture’, ensuring that ‘context is king’ and promoting a process of ‘shared interpretation’. This framework proposes that insight, not information, must become the currency of action.
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