Making sense of data

Data has been called the new gold or oil. And yes, it allows diagnoses, insights, conclusions and supports decisions. Aggregated or in detail.

Some struggle with a deluge of data, some have almost none. Quality varies in practice.

Without having to call on a specialist, how can leaders make sense of them and use them effectively?

The secret lies in the questions you or others ask. The questions will quickly lead you down the right path. Here are a few to get you started:

• What do you want the data to do for you or the organization in the best case scenario? This question links to the goal or strategy. If they are unknown, looking at the data is worth quite little.
• Does the data have significance for the future? Data always come from the past. They do not automatically have significance for the future. Only if you are sure that the context will not change, then it is likely that they are quite good with short-term forecasts.
• What is the quality of the data? Well, staying alert is always an advantage. It is not uncommon for the mere presentation of data to have a psychological effect. Even if 20% and 1/5 are identical, "one out of five" is more pictorial and imaginable for many people. But also the origin and recording can contain ambiguities or inconsistencies. At this point, only further questions will shed light into the dark. The thinking model after Paul-Elder helps to ask good and systematized questions [1].
• What data is missing? Having data is nice. But often there are gaps. Can you even use your data if there are gaps?

You can't use data without asking questions. The easier and more systematic you ask them, the more likely you are to get to the heart of the matter. This takes experience and different perspectives, and a willingness to look at the questions. The tools ask44.com help you to quickly gather questions from your team or colleagues on a topic (anonymously if necessary). Ultimately, this will save you a lot of time and resources.

[1] Critical Thinking. Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life, 2002, Linda Elder / Richard Paul Elder.