We Have Been Changed For Good

After about the fourth preview at the movies today, I whispered to my son, "I want to see every one of these movies!" After the fifth preview my daughter whispered to me, "Each of these movies is awesome! They've done a good job figuring out what I will want to see, based on what we came to see today." I have such an insightful twelve year old! I also realize that the world has changed and she has never known it to be any other way. Audience profiling and segmentation is no longer under the surface.  

The information age has also improved the way organizations can make choices. Using Big Data we can determine need and improve how we select which ideas to turn into projects. Social media and mobile devices allow us to crowd source information to determine approach to implementation; and we can harness voluminous data using sophisticated data-tracking software in order to measure results.  

Despite being a champion of research-based approaches, data-driven programs and quantifiable outcomes, one of my favorite quotes is, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Albert Einstein or William Bruce Cameron or someone) Furthermore, I recognize potential dangers attached to the information revolution.  Among them, privacy concerns, moral issues, and the risk of confirming unfounded biases rather than reducing their impact.

For now, my solution is to remain alert and keep learning about these serious issues. I have also selected two cautions to put on my bulletin board for the next few months:

1. More and better is best, but better is better than more alone. Sometimes the most important question does not present itself at the outset of a project.  So the more types of data collected, the better the chances that you'll have the data you need once you figure out the right question. But that's quite different than focusing on volume to the detriment of creating thoughtful measures and metrics, ensuring that the data gathered is valid, interpreting data correctly, and taking the time to consider it in context.    
2. Don't let inadequate information lead to inaction. How much data is enough? At some point, you must decide to move forward. In fact, within a portfolio of projects some portion of them should not be supported by directly relevant research, or spot on data. That's a sign of innovation. 

Note:  I will also remind myself that when it comes to coffee and other matters of equal importance I will only query the data if I am prepared to face and act on whatever the answer might be!