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A Daily Lexicon of Trustworthy Data

658·40

lagging indicator

/ˈlæɡ.ɪŋ ˈɪn.dɪ.keɪ.tər/ - n.

1 [colloq.] The number that tells you what happened, reported the week after you could have changed it.Keep. Punchy.This is the problem.

Working definition

2. A measure that confirms an outcome after it has occurred, useful for accountability but not steering.

Filed

See also

leading indicatorA metric called 'leading' until the outcome it predicted failed to follow.
refresh cadenceHow often the numbers change, set independently of how often anyone looks.
scorecardA scorecard that keeps the score but never names the player who lost.