Lyle Gray inquires after sources related to gathering and using hard data
and facts in presenting perspectives of complex issues. I know of none,
so I can't answer the inquiry directly, however, some related comments
follow.
After many years in the workplace, it is clear to me that few people in
organizations know how to gather data and factual information to support a
presentation or point of view, especially financial information. As a
consequence, the business cases accompanying most presentations range from
just plain weak to downright bogus.
Senior managers are often guilty of tolerating this nonsense. They, too,
don't seem to be able to recognize a good number or fact when they see one
and, worse, don't seem to care. It has often seemed to me that this is
the case because all concerned know that the numbers have been
manufactured to support a decision already made.
Part of the reason for all this relates, I think, to a misguided fear of
mathematics. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've heard
people say, "Oh, not me. I'm no good at math. Someone else will have to
get the numbers." Gathering data and facts related to most business
issues has very little to do with mathematics (at least not beyond simple
addition and subtraction).
I'm a very good analyst with a knack for "getting the numbers." That
knack, such as it is, doesn't tie to my math skills (which are quite
modest). It ties, instead, to a grasp of the issue at hand and the kinds
of information that are relevant to its resolution. Sometimes these are
facts and figures, sometimes not.
So, in addition to seeking out ways of gathering and using hard data and
facts, I would encourage Mr. Gray and others to attend to the underlying
matter of identifying the kinds of information that are needed. With that
in hand, the search for it is a simple task. There is no mystery here,
either. The resolution of almost any issue involves reducing uncertainty,
which is accomplished by acquiring and processing relevant information.
Uncertainty regarding an issue varies with the individual involved (which
is to say that some problems pose unbelievable difficulty to one person
and are a piece of cake to another). The information relevant to the
resolution of any issue, then, ties to the individuals involved, not to
the issue. Thus, asking the people involved, "What is it you need to
know?" is a very good first step in the search for useful information.
Regards,
Fred Nickols
The Distance Consulting Company
nickols@worldnet.att.net
http://home.att.net/~nickols/distance.htm
"The Internet offers the best graduate-level education
to be found anywhere."
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