Finding the stories behind the data

Where is the knowledge lost in information? That’s a quote from T. S. Eliot, and it’s quite old, and I think it’s very, very pertinent today because organisations are basically drowning in data.

All our systems and technology provides tons of data. There’s loads of surveys all the time, and it just sits there.

Now, be honest. Do you act on it?

And be honest again. Do you actually know how to act on it?

The one way that you can act on it, so that it actually leads to change, is to find the stories behind the data.

So the data flags up an issue, you go and talk to some people who have flagged that up, and you say, “Well, what’s going on here? How can this be improved?

At that point you start to bring it to life. It becomes very real and tangible, and also at that point you’re starting to invite people into some kind of co-creative process where you can start to look at the solutions.

There’s no point in asking for people to give survey responses if you’re not going to actually act on it.

Survey responses are feedback.

Feedback is the fuel for co-creation.

So that is why you need to get behind the numbers, find the stories, and act on them.

You can watch this article on Youtube.