In the dark recesses of companies, bedrooms and analytical blogs lurks the specter of Performance Anxiety.  Are we going to hit our numbers?  Have we chosen the right metrics?  Will we meet expectations?

What about Anxiety Performance?  Are we concerned about the right things to begin with?  Lets consider a few examples…

Insurance policies are regulated contracts that mitigate fear and the risks of disaster by spreading both across large groups of people.  The details of insurance policies are so complex that we trust our regulators, focus on price, and buy from “big” companies.  A big part of buying an insurance policy is evaluating the company’s ability to make a big payout.

If you have a home, auto, family, medical or dental issues shouldn’t you be more concerned about the insurance company’s willingness to make a big payout?  How would we measure that?  The ratio of claims to payouts?  Percent of claims paid?  And can we compare these ratios across companies and coverages?

When buying a home, we learn more about the property as we get closer to making the purchase.  We pay a questionable list of standard fees and learn about the history of utility payments somewhere in the process.  But only after we’ve moved in, unpacked and settled in for a season do we really understand the hidden costs of maintenance.  What if the real estate market was required to provide an estimated, total cost of ownership up front?  Land Value + Home Value + Avg Annual Utilities + 5-year estimated maintenance based on the data gathered during the inspection?

Anxiety Performance.  Are we asking the right questions or just comparing the answers we’ve been given?