Be decision-driven, not data-driven

- Be Decision-Driven Not Data-Driven — Techno Sapien - after eight years of measuring corporate data literacy, only 24% of companies report having reached data-driven nirvana. That’s fewer companies than last year. - decision-driven, not data-driven. The distinction may seem subtle, but it runs deep throughout a company’s culture. It’s also a false choice: decisions lead to action, but data informs action. - Decision-driven thinking differs from the data-driven approach in seven ways: - You start with questions, not data. Decision-driven teams spend more time designing questions and validating assumptions with decision-makers. Measure questions twice, cut data once! - Decision-makers lead projects, not data scientists. Like building a house, the homeowner (decision-maker) sets the tone, not the builder, architect, or plumber; they provide input. - You ponder the unknown more than knowns. Decision-driven thinking considers unknowns more than knowns. For example, in retail, a typical data-driven project optimizes existing loyalty programs; a decision-driven approach explores what makes customers happy in the first place, how attitudes are changing, and why. - You look wide first, then dive deep. Data-driven teams often dive head-first into the pool of data they already have. Puntonio and de Lange suggest you look “wide first, then narrow.” - You build new data boxes. Data-driven teams tend to think inside the box and invent ways to use the data they already have. When you start with decisions, teams more quickly discover missing or desired data. They spend time designing surveys, simulations, or searching outside the company for third-party data. - You’re more apt to spot and more able to reduce bias. By embracing a wider team upfront, decision-led teams tend to be more diverse. Diversity helps root out bias by questioning assumptions. - The business looks forward, not only in the rearview mirror. Data-driven thinking starts with historical data that accounts for what already happened. While the past might be prologue, pre-pandemic patterns might not still apply. - Pablo Picasso said, “the problem with computers is all they can do is provide answers.” His message is profound: don’t let tech lead; lead your tech. Be decision-driven, not data-driven.

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