If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine. — Jim Barksdale There are limits to data and some people rely on it too heavily. Analysing it correctly is difficult, and it is dangerous to assume you always know what it means. It is very easy to find patterns in data. Instead, I prefer to think of data as one way of seeing, one of many tools we can use, to look for what’s hidden. If we think data alone provides answers, then we have misapplied the tool. It is important to get this right. Some people swing to the extremes of either having no interest in the data or believing that the facts of measurement alone should drive our management. Either can lead to false conclusions. "You can’t manage what you can’t measure" is a maxim that is taught by many in the business and education sectors. But in fact, the phrase is ridiculous — something said by people who are unaware of how much is hidden. A large portion of what we manage can’t be measured, and...
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