Brutally Honest Translation
I cannot see what you're doing and I've decided that means it isn't valuable.
Jargon
“Move the needle”
Do something measurable, though no measurement has been defined and the person using the phrase has not checked whether the needle exists.
How it gets used
The default criticism of work that is invisible to whoever is speaking. Frequently appears in planning sessions without numbers attached.
Three ways to answer “Move the needle”
Supreme Court Polite
We should prioritise initiatives with demonstrable impact against our stated objectives.
Passive-Aggressive Retaliation
Agreed, let's define the needle first so we can all measure who moved it.
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