Data Overload

Today's Freakonomics on NPR stated that 90% of all the data generated in all of human history has been created in the past 2 years.

Let that sink in. If it's true, wouldn't that have some profound implications for Organizational Development?

The first 3 things that come to mind for me:

As Dee Hock so presciently pointed out some 20 years ago, command-and-control is simply inherently incapable of handling, processing, managing such a sheer volume of data. Meaning that we need to develop new forms of organizational structure and function to survive and remain effective in this data glut.

OD is largely data based. Even if much of that data is qualitative rather than quantitative, we still have to face the potential for data overload or even burnout, which will certainly effect our function.

And finally, there is a distinct dearth of people with the knowledge and skills to effectively analyze, summarize, present, and operationalize this level of data. That would also seem to have an impact on organizations and their operations.