See the Broader Picture: Data Offers a View from the Top of the Water Tower

Why does a staff member need to embed data use into their decision-making workflows?

The Curse of Knowledge

Many staff who lead data work at institutions are stuck in a knowledge bias problem. They are so deep in the world of data that they struggle to take a step back and communicate the purpose of building data into the workflows of the average staff member.?

When you know a lot about a subject it’s easy to think everyone else does as well, but this is the curse of knowledge. Most people who work in data talk about the technical aspects of data all day, but struggle to imagine how to close the knowledge gap around data use for others.?

I know this because I talk to y’all all the time. You’re enthusiastic about leadership and other staff USING data, moving away from data sitting in spreadsheets or reports and putting it into the hands of the people who can use it to make the postsecondary experience better for students.?

But many data leaders are baffled when you put data into the hands of faculty or leadership and they don’t know what to do next. Now tell me what this graph says exactly? Your provost asks you. How could they not know how to read this simple graph?! Is your thought, though you are trying not to let it show on your face.

This is knowledge bias. How could faculty and staff not know what you know?

Sure, this person likely attended a lot of school. But how often are they actually interacting with data in practical ways?

And this knowledge bias challenge doesn’t just happen at universities, I hear similar challenges in getting non-profit staff or, often, boards engaged in data. They come from a business background, you say. But they don’t understand social change or education data at all!

I've come to value simple explanations.

Why does data matter to this person’s job and what are the basic elements they need to understand to start putting data to use today?

So today I’m peeling away the thick film of data jargon gobbledygook and trying on a simple analogy. Tell me how it works for you.

Using data is like climbing to the top of the water tower and looking down on the program you are working so hard to build.?

Data are just one tool that you can pull out when making a decision, but this is a valuable tool that too often higher ed people aren’t utilizing.

Data Offers a Wider View

Decision-making is key to the conversation around why data are valuable, because this is the inflection point when you should be introducing the right data to take action. Not just to look at the data after a report comes in, but to build it into the decision-making that is regularly happening. This includes big decisions: like a college president who is deciding how large to build a new stadium, based on past game day ticket sales and projections of future enrollment. But data are also valuable in the smaller decisions: such as advising a student to enroll in a certain course based on data about past course success or how that course aligns with career pathways.

Many prefer the term “data-informed” over “data-driven” because data alone aren’t driving the decision, they are just one input of many. A person making a decision draws on many factors including their own past experience, their intuition, the advice of trusted advisors, and the broader values and mission. Adding data into this mix offers another valuable tool for making the best decision possible.

Data are a tool that provides a wider view than the other inputs in a decision. Many staff members struggle to see the big picture when it comes to our programs. We tend to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks and lose sight of the overall outcomes. This is where data comes in. Imagine data as the tool that offers a broader view from climbing to the top of a water tower. From that high vantage point, you can see things you couldn't see from the ground. By analyzing student performance data, for example, we can identify areas where our program is succeeding and areas where we can improve. This valuable information can then be used to make data-informed decisions that benefit our students.

Data aren’t the only input, but they are an important element. Making a data-informed decision requires individual skill around asking actionable questions, understanding what data are relevant, and identifying the limitations of any data source.

Just as climbing to the top of the water tower provides a panoramic view of the surrounding area, data insights offer a broader understanding of trends, patterns, and areas needing improvement.?

Do you have a go-to, simple way of explaining the value of data? I’d love to hear it.

Thanks for being here.

-Tait