A Consumer’s Guide to Understanding Data - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 77

With all these questions, the goal is to find out if there is any bias in the data,
that is, is the information misrepresented in a particular direction. Bias can
range from the accidental to the purposive, from poor procedures to corrupt
processes. As with reliability, data fluent consumers are often left to use their
own judgment about the validity of results. Face validity, examining the rela-
tionship between data elements, and considering bias are three important
tools to help you determine what you can do with the data.
Actionable
If your data is reliable and valid, now what? What can you do with it? Does it
offer information that informs decisions you can take?
Actionable data draws a direct and obvious line between the implications of
the data and specific actions the reader can take. In our work with clients, we
often help define key performance indicators, or KPIs. To test whether a KPI
is worthwhile, we like to ask, “What would you do if that number changed?”
Sometimes there is an obvious next step. A person can make an adjustment
or react to the change. An activity is ramped up or a process is changed. But
when the response is, “It sure would be interesting information to know,” then
the KPI is probably more of a distraction than of value.
For a commonplace example, take goingtorain.com, the late, lamented web-
site that was pure actionable simplicity. It asks the most important question
many people want to know from their weather forecast—do I need to bring
an umbrella to work today—and answers it in the most direct possible way
(Figure 4 -23).
In contrast, many weather sites are overloaded with news
stories about dramatic weather in far off locations. These
stories are more interesting than actionable. In our age of
information overload, it is important to sift through infor-
mation to the most relevant and actionable. In asking what
you can do with data, it is critical that you begin to focus on
using data that produces actions—shapes and changes the
way you behave—because that data will be of most value.
Figure 4-23 Saying it directly
Source: goingtorain.com
wRAPPING UP
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