Dexterity with Data

That data is power, is now a given. That the volume of data being generated nowadays is immense is another no-brainer. And the primary purpose of data (at least for a PM) is to drive the best decisions.

Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) is defined as using facts, metrics, and data to guide strategic business decisions that align with your goals, objectives, and initiatives.

Here is a simple flow for DDDM.

Sometimes people miss the fundamental need of data handling. Presenting data is of no use unless there is a drive to a decision.

In the role of a “Leader without Authority”, a PM must rise above just collecting and presenting data, to bringing meaning out of it to drive decisions. The first part is the MOST important – knowing what the data is going to be used for. The end drives the means. It may not be a mission defined by the PM – but he or she must certainly have clarity on the mission itself. The last in the chain is the result. Again, the PM may not be the person to decide the conclusion. But all the steps in between define what is the likely decision. The work done between defining the mission to the conclusion are a key PM function and need dexterity to complete successfully and meaningfully.

Hence the rest of the blog delves on the PM’s approach to:

Collecting and organizing data is a matter of responsibility.

• It is easy to say that some XYZ person did not give the data in time and hence the analysis and report is incomplete. But that is just a lame excuse.

• Ensuring data is made available requires persistent follow-up, reminding the data providers of the importance of the mission and where required, as a last resort, escalations.

• Putting data in a form which facilitates the rest of the process needs a meticulous approach. Prior planning helps avoid iterations and mess-ups. Planning also ensures required data is collected and only required data is collected.

•  Data ought to be accurate and updated. Sources should be verified, checks should be done, errors weeded out. Else GIGO applies.

Interpreting and Representing data is a matter of skill.

• This is the exciting part (also intellectually challenging). It is also the part which drives the conclusion. Some key aspects:

• The representation of the data will drive the decision making – its an IMPORTANT job. The consumer is unlikely to look beyond the visualization. Wrong representations would confuse the audience and lead to poor decisions. A good starter course on data visualizations is here (on LinkedIn learning).

• Data representation is a VERY important skill. It would be appropriate to take expert help to ensure the right representations. The choice between tables, graphs, text – the kind of charts and the visual appeal of the representation is a world by itself.

Needless to say – familiarity with tools helps a lot. If one knows the options, it easier to choose the best one. Else one could be bogged down by the enormity of the task itself.

The relevance of the data being presented to the audience is a very important factor too. A PM may have to present the same data to multiple levels of stakeholders – some would be interested in detail, while people at the top are generally interested in the distilled output. The right choice of “how much detail to present” is vital to ensure the audience can consume the data and give back a decision.

All in all, “Dexterity with Data” as I have called it can take a PM to achieve a high level of leadership, establish trust and ensure success and the skills here to be used are:

• Dogged collection of data
• Keen validation to ensure no garbage
• Accurate Interpretations
• Right presentations tailored the audience