Post on 14-Apr-2017
Asking Better Questions with DataROBERT ROUSEANALYTICS CONSULTANT AND TABLEAU ZEN MASTERINTERWORKS, INC.
Imagine this Scenario
Sales DashboardProduct Sub-Category
Region
Central East South West
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
AppliancesBinders and Binder AccessoriesBookcasesChairs & ChairmatsComputer PeripheralsCopiers and FaxEnvelopesLabelsOffice FurnishingsOffice MachinesPaperPens & Art SuppliesRubber BandsScissors, Rulers and TrimmersStorage & OrganizationTablesTelephones and Communication $124,035
-$21,335
-$45,218
$90,413
-$11,216
$27,399
$96,497
-$580
Sales Dashboard – Take 2Product Sub-Category
Region
Central East South West
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit
AppliancesBinders and Binder AccessoriesBookcasesChairs & ChairmatsComputer PeripheralsCopiers and FaxEnvelopesLabelsOffice FurnishingsOffice MachinesPaperPens & Art SuppliesRubber BandsScissors, Rulers and TrimmersStorage & OrganizationTablesTelephones and Communication $124,035
-$21,335
-$45,218
$90,413
-$11,216
$27,399
$96,497
-$580
What’s Going on Here
Slight changes in the question leads to very different answers First impressions shape further inquiry Cognitive influences Organizational influences
The Power of Visual ComprehensionPre-Attentive Attributes
Source: Stephen Few, Tapping the Power of Visual Perception https://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/ie/visual_perception.pdf
Modes of Thinking
System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control
System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations.
Don’t Fool Yourself
The Pre-Attentive or “System 1” mode of thinking invites cognitive biases
What you see is all there is (WYSATI) Cognitive ease Norms based on experience Recency bias (especially with year-over-year comparisons) Plenty more where that came from: politics, personalities,
emotions…
Overcoming Cognitive Biases
Ask yourself: “What am I missing here?” Make it easy to ask new questions Validate the baseline comparison Think beyond your own experience
“PRODUCERS”-IT-BI-Developers
“CONSUMERS”-Analysts-Managers-Users
-Pipeline-Processes-Meetings…etc
Dealing with Structural Limitations
My best advice to leave you with:
Cultivate Curiosity