Rethinking Value: Beyond Financial Metrics

Send us Fan MailCatherine Manning joins us for a paradigm-shifting conversation about how we define, measure, and create value in our world. As Head of Impact Practice at Impact Reporting and Programme Director of Measure Up, Catherine brings a wealth of expertise in translating abstract impact concepts into practical frameworks that organisations can actually implement.The episode challenges our society's overreliance on financial metrics as the primary decision-making tool. Catherine eloquently argues that while financial accounting isn't inherently flawed, it fails to capture the full spectrum of value – our relationships, health, connection to nature, and overall wellbeing. "The judgment of how well you're doing comes down to the financial assessment," she notes, "and it misses out so much of what the purpose and value actually are."We explore how social value measurement is evolving beyond mere compliance with procurement requirements. Catherine shares her vision where organisations move from "ticking boxes" to embedding social value in their DNA – transforming it from a short bus journey to a meaningful ongoing commitment. This shift requires both structural changes in how we account for value and cultural changes in how we perceive success.The conversation illuminates the ground breaking work of Measure Up, which demystifies social value measurement by providing accessible, transparent tools for practitioners. Their innovative approach offers graded measurement levels (bronze, silver, gold) that acknowledge different organizational capacities while encouraging progress. "Part of the point of publishing this is to take the mystique away," Catherine explains, "It's your value, not the expert's."Whether you're a seasoned impact professional or just beginning to explore how your work creates change, this episode offers both philosophical insights and practical approaches to measuring what truly matters. By reimagining our systems of value, we open possibilities for a more equitable, sustainable future where economic activities serve human and environmental wellbeing rather than the reverse.Subscribe now to continue exploring how we can collectively make an impact that transcends financial bottom lines and creates meaningful, lasting change in our communities.Support the showHi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast.  I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have. I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.  I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives. You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.