People can’t handle a lot of data
Research in both neuroscience and psychology has overwhelmingly proven that the conscious mind is pretty limited in the amount of data it can process at one time. When confronted with too much data, the unconscious mind takes over. For rote situations, this works pretty well. However, for situations requiring focus and attention, this could be a disaster. It’s important to look at a lot of data, just not all at once.
Data doesn’t actually drive decision-making
Data, while important, doesn’t actually drive decision making – This might seem paradoxical. The best leaders will tell you that they are data driven, objective, and let the facts guide them. People make decisions based on reasoning. If your reasoning is faulty, it doesn’t matter how much data you have. In addition, research has proven that a variety of unconscious issues (emotions, biases, misconceptions) work their way into the decision making process. Often, the more data that you look at or provide, the more likely it is that those unconscious issues come into play.
People don’t actually want data
We’ve been told that we should be data-driven and leaders regularly ask to see data. However, in most cases, they really don’t care about the numbers. Numbers are merely an input. People want the story of their business and the decisions, recommendations, and actions necessary to make that story work out positively. Don’t make them work for it. That’s what you should be providing. Put the detailed numbers in the appendix so people can drill down on their terms, when they are ready.
I’m not suggesting that you stop using data. Every statement, decision, or recommendation that you make needs to be supported by clear data-driven evidence. However, using data to make a decision is different from displaying all of that data while making your argument.
Resist the urge to simply dump a lot of data on your audience. Sure, it may be easier, faster, and less risky to do so. However, it doesn’t really move the conversation forward. In fact, in many cases it will slow down the discussion as people will get stuck on details and numbers which aren’t going to impact the final decision or answer anyway. Start trying to present a simple, clear “story” of what is happening in the business and what needs to be done to help the business succeed. Put all of the charts, graphs, and tables in the appendix. You can draw upon them as needed to answer questions or defend your statements.
