Replying to LO27729 --
Don Wheeler has a nice phrase. In describing the difference between
statistics that tell us that there is some difference between some numbers
and statistics that give us an insight in to what is happening in the
system, and takes into account the system's temporal nature. The former
he describes as numerate but numerically illiterate. A lot of the stats I
see (no data but it is a feeling I have) are numerically illiterate. Ie
School league tables, achievement against arbitrary target etc. Even
things such as 85% of customers said they were happy or more than happy
with supplier x. This is a point of data. How has it changes over time?
What were the options the customers were given? What were their
expectations etc etc etc. There is a lot of using stats to support
agenda, or oppose but I find this much harder to do when using numerically
literate rather than numerate calculations and I seek to illuminate the
voice of the system rather than the voice of the spinner. Unfortunately
very little of the stats published and even worse, less of the stats
taught are numerically literate. There are any number of well meaning
people with great management degrees, MBAs etc who can make numbers do
amazing tricks but are not even aware that the data is telling a story
that occurs over time not in clustered points.
--Roger.
---------------------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------------------Roger C. Key mailto:roger.key@onet.co.uk Prescient - The Whole as One (44) 01639 871062 Web based training for Organisations, http://virtual-deming.com Leadership and Life!
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