In people discussions, the demand is rarely subtle: “show me the data.” Skills, engagement, productivity, all expected to deliver certainty. This panel tackles the growing tension between increasingly analytical people functions and the human judgement required to design organisations that actually work. As metrics multiply and decisions become more visible, people leaders are being pushed not only to justify structure and capability choices, but to ensure the metrics they prioritise genuinely reflect enterprise goals rather than internal HR agendas. With contrasting perspectives around the table, the discussion explores when data genuinely improves organisational design, when it creates false confidence, and how senior leaders align performance indicators with business strategy without losing empathy, context, or accountability. Key takeaways: - Hear how senior people leaders decide when data should lead organisational design decisions and when judgement must take precedence. - Understand how to align people metrics and performance indicators with enterprise priorities, especially when HR and executive leadership focus on different outcomes. - Learn which people metrics are proving useful in practice, and which quietly distort behaviour or decision-making. - Explore how to design organisations that are analytically informed without becoming emotionally blind or commercially disconnected.