Numbers are never the solution.
Numbers create the questions.
Most practices treat KPIs as the answer. They expect a number to reveal what to fix, where to focus, or how to improve. But KPIs were never meant to direct decisions. They exist to highlight where something has shifted so you can look deeper. The value is in the interpretation, not the metric.
Here is what KPIs actually tell you, what they do not, and why chasing numbers without strategy can quietly pull a practice off course.
1. KPIs show patterns, not causes
KPIs tell you that something changed. They do not tell you why. A rising or falling number is simply a signal. Treating the number as the problem leads to solving the wrong thing. The cause always lives underneath the metric, in the structure, processes, roles, or capacity of the practice. KPIs point you to the right area to explore. They do not provide the explanation.
2. KPIs reflect the structure you already have
KPIs are not independent. They are the output of your current systems. When the structure is clear and aligned, the numbers make sense. When the structure is inconsistent or strained, the numbers reflect that. A strong KPI can come from an unstable system, and a weak KPI can come from a system that is improving but not yet steady. The number never tells the whole story on its own.
3. Internal KPIs and External KPIs have different roles.
Internal KPIs reveal your trends over time. They reflect your specific reality: your client base, your staffing model, your fees, your rhythm, your pace. These numbers matter most because they show whether your practice is strengthening, holding, or straining.
External KPIs are built from broad averages. They come from hospitals with different structures, regions, goals, and service mixes. These benchmarks may offer context, but they are not targets. When you set goals based on numbers that were never designed for your practice, you can unintentionally shift decisions in a direction that does not fit your identity or capacity.
4. A “good” KPI can be misleading if you do not know what is driving it
A number can look positive on paper and still be masking strain underneath. Without understanding what is creating the metric, it is easy to assume the wrong area is performing well and to make changes in places that were not the source of the issue. This is how practices correct the wrong thing and create new pressure unintentionally. A KPI is only as accurate as your understanding of the system behind it.
5. KPIs must support your strategy. Chasing them without context is dangerous.
KPIs are tools meant to reinforce your direction, not override it. When a number becomes the focus instead of the strategy, decisions shift toward improving the metric rather than strengthening the practice. This is the danger of KPI chasing. It can push the team too hard, accelerate the pace beyond capacity, or influence choices that conflict with your identity or goals.
KPIs work when they support your strategy.
They create problems when they replace it.
A simple truth
KPIs do not tell you what to do.
They tell you where to look.
Numbers create the questions.
Your systems create the answers.
If you are sensing veterinary KPI confusion
If you are sensing that your KPIs are raising concern or creating pressure, we can help you look underneath the numbers and understand what they are actually telling you. Interpretation always matters more than the metric.