Hey all... I'm wondering why some INFPs are so obsessed with metrics and what is the kindest way to explain that it might be a waste of time?
I know this will come as a huge surprise, but INFPs aren't always great at being in tune with reality. What's so great about metrics is that they provide hard, concrete data that's wonderfully open to intuitive Fi interpretation. Plus, analyzing metrics is a great way to over-think something, and feel like we're being productive while we avoid taking any action. They may also be an over-compensation mechanism, making their usefulness more emotional than logical.
Convincing him that metrics are a waste of time won't be particularly easy or possible, and is probably a waste of
your time. It's far better to argue that everything has its place, including metrics, but there are many things metrics can't do very well. Metrics are a
tool for us to call upon to
help in decision making, and what he's doing is becoming a tool for the metrics.
I worked with an INFP who brought me on to a project in order to breathe life into it and "innovate". I spent so much of my time analyzing data that I ended up just walking away. I felt like he wanted this thing to go a certain way and hired me to prove to himself that he was open to change, when he really wasn't. So ok, it was a one off thing and I moved on.
My suspicion is that he was hoping you'd view the data in a clever-but-not-all-too-different way. That's a complete waste of what you brought to the table... I'd expect more from my fellow INFP brethren.
But now my INTP hubby is facing a very similar situation. He was hired on to be in charge of a particular project. But day after day, he is forced to waste time on reports analyzing the data in different ways. So for months, the project has been losing so much money that the INFP basically said he was closing shop on it at the end of the year. Also, the INFP is literally obsessed with one type of medium - let's say, for instance, Facebook. So there are just dozens of books and materials in the office about how to use Facebook to further the project. He's been using this "Facebook app" for a year with no positive results. But refuses to hear anything about any other social media site, or any other type of venue.
Ok, since the INFP basically walked away from micro-managing the project, my hubby now had all this freedom to do actual work on it. So for a few weeks, he hunkered down and really brought this project to life. When he decided he was at a point where he should bring it to the boss's attention, he was met with "Wow, that's great! Now let's put together a detailed report with a 5 step monthly plan, using Facebook, that indicates..."
Seriously, my hubby really likes this guy and respects him and thinks the project is actually very good. And because he's an INTP, he's way less volatile than I am, so he wants to work it out with this guy. How can he possibly get through to him, in a kind and respectful way?
I'd love to say something like, "Since this is business, if you can present a logical argument as to how Facebook and the metrics are leading him astray, he'd understand and be willing to try something new." However, we'd probably die from laughter afterward, so I won't say that. There's almost certainly an emotional component to this, and you'll make your greatest progress when you can work with him to develop a solution that compensates for that.
My first point may or may not be relevant, but it could be a huge factor. Simply put, when the stakes are high, xNTP thinking can make me uncomfortable. I think this is because the NTP line of thinking is not readily obvious to me, so it's not clear just how much thought may have gone into a course of action or even why that course of action is being decided. Now, thanks to MBTI I can understand the differences and seek clarification, after which all is usually good, but I can see it being an issue with an INFP that isn't versed in MBTI or hearing people out.
Likewise, there's probably a solid line of thinking on his end behind the reliance of Facebook (for example) and metrics. There very well may be a shortcoming or flaw in his thinking, but it's likely the same line of thinking that got him to where he is now. For better and worse.
My first suggestion is that your husband take some time to understand that thinking.
What is he expecting the metrics to tell him? What is he really looking for? Why is he putting all of his eggs in the Facebook basket over other social media sites? What is it that he thinks Facebook will provide that he can't (as easily) get anywhere else? The answers to those questions will clue him in on what the INFP is looking for. Then, your hubby will be in a better position to frame his ideas in a way that incorporates those needs.
It's unlikely the INFP will be able to let go of metrics entirely. But maybe one or two specific metrics that serve as signs of progress (or lack of it) will suffice. Likewise, maybe if the boss thinks that Facebook is the best because it has the most users, which amounts to an assumption that more users = more customers. But if you can show him another option that is likely to have a higher percentage of customers, or a significantly lower cost to get someone to on the site to use their product, he should at least listen.