In Conversation

Laura Warren, Storylytics Founder

Over a 20-year career in leadership roles within Canada’s largest syndicated research and loyalty firms, Laura became known as the ‘data whisperer’ because of her ability to clarify complex issues through data, graphics, and narrative.



Don’t Diss the Dashboard [Part 1]


Design

Jun 15, 2023

Dashboards have their place in the world, but not all dashboards are created equal. It’s not just about presenting data; it’s also about providing focus.

I’ve talked to a lot (a lot) of executives about what they need from their data, and the consistent theme is this: Tell me where I need to focus my attention.

That’s it. It’s that simple and that difficult all at the same time.

The statement is simple because it offers an easy way to spot-check your work – does what I’m sharing bring focus to what’s next. But it can also be extremely difficult. There are so many options in the analytic toolkit to shed light on the business, it can be hard to know where to start, let alone when to stop. Some applications can’t deliver on their promises, while other approaches are undervalued in terms of what they offer.

In my opinion, the humble dashboard is one of these undervalued tools. While it’s true that a dashboard doesn’t go far enough (not by any stretch!) to deliver earth-shattering kabooms of insight, it doesn’t mean they’re devoid of value. In fact, it’s the opposite. A dashboard is the starting point for many investigations.

Reframing common dashboard frustrations

Two common “Ugh, dashboard!” frustrations I hear need to be addressed before we can get to how we deliver value through a dashboard: self-serve and dashboard volume.

Up first—self-serve.

I often come across the creation of self-serve (also called self-service) dashboards, which are designed to give users easy access to the answers they need when they need them. As much as I have personally benefited from these capabilities, there is an often-unspoken assumption that goes along with their use. That assumption? Data literacy of the user. In my experience, this tends to be the unfortunate sticking point.

Self-serve really only works in a data-literate environment—where the user knows how to leverage the dashboard as a way to focus attention. If you’re in one, great! Skip ahead to the next point. If you’re not, let’s briefly pause.

Dashboards, in their time-honoured definition, provide a glimpse of the key levers of a business. It’s similar to the dashboard in an aircraft. The dashboard display provides an at-a-glance look at the key technical operations of the plane. A pilot is looking for exceptions and early indications of issues so that they can get back on track before anything becomes a major problem. A non-pilot would be overwhelmed because everything looks important. They need guidance on where to look (not to mention help on avoiding a crash!).

Where data literacy is low, self-serve dashboards are the equivalent of asking non-pilots to navigate the controls. There’s just too much information all at once—for those who aren’t data literate, it’s impossible to know where to focus (and you know that can’t be a good thing when you’re flying a plane!).

Which brings us to dashboard volume.

Social psychologist William Bruce Cameron said, in 1963, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”

Sixty years later, this is still an incredibly relevant statement—especially when you’re talking about dashboards.

In today’s dashboard world, volume does not equal value. Just because something can be standardized does not mean it should. Good dashboards are organic and help focus the business (unlike this funny-because-it’s-true Tom Fishbourne KPI cartoon).

Marketoonist Cartoon - KPI Overload

The unfortunate thing is that, in high volume environments, those who issue the dashboards start to feel stuck when the volume starts to feel like white noise, and like they’re saying the same things week after week. Even worse, this slog can’t provide focus and makes everyone wonder about the value of the dashboards altogether—plus, it can be extremely demotivating to those who are writing the commentary.

Well, I’m here to tell you that the problem isn’t the dashboard. Stories can be told from dashboards, if you can just rethink how and why you share those stories.

Providing focus a distracted world

Leaders rely on data storytellers to tell them where to focus their attention (especially since so many things compete for their attention every day). In practical terms, this means “tell me what I’m not already aware of and how it’s going to have an impact—positive or negative—on our ability to achieve our goals or objectives.”

The purpose of—and opportunity in—dashboards is to identify where we need to focus our efforts. The findings don’t all need to be gamechangers; at this stage, they simply need to identify the forest from the trees.

Observations are led by exception

With a clear purpose, now we turn to the data points themselves.

When presenting or writing commentary from a dashboard, remember that dashboards are intended to highlight exceptions—to put a spotlight on areas that need our attention, in order to help us stay on track. (Huh. That kinda sounds like what the executives are asking for.)

 

Stay tuned for part two in praise of dashboards coming soon!

 

Interested in discovering the story waiting to be told in your dashboards? Get in touch and let’s have a chat. 



Tips


The Greatest Skill to Master as a Data Storyteller

When it comes to landing your message, remember your audience will realistically remember just one thing from any presentation. Make sure it’s the one they need to hear—the controlling idea—and watch the magic happen.

Read More

Strategy


Is AI Going to Change the Face of Data Storytelling?

Artificial intelligence isn’t new—its origins go back close to 80 years at this point—but as it evolves (and gets smarter!), we start to wonder how it will factor into the future and if it will fully replace humans in certain areas. But how will it affect data storytelling, specifically?

Read More

Tips


What ‘Don’t Look Up’ Teaches Us About Data Storytelling

Yes, it’s a satirical dark comedy about impending global doom, but there is one scene that encapsulates everything that can go wrong in data storytelling. All in three short minutes.

Read More

Tips


What, So What, Now What

If there ever was one phrase that causes heads to explode, it’s “I need the ‘so what.’”  I hear it from leaders and team members and, while it seems easy to define, it is the most challenging stage of data storytelling. But it’s not impossible. Read on for the missing link in finding the ‘so […]

Read More

Strategy


Three Things All Great Storytellers Know

Ever wondered why your leadership team decided to proceed in a direction that’s completely counter to the research you just presented? Your data may present the facts, but you need a clear data story to influence action.

Read More

Strategy


Why Visualization Alone Isn’t Storytelling

It never fails—whenever I tell an audience “visualization isn’t storytelling,” I’m met with looks of surprise and doubt. But then I explain the role each plays in connecting with decision makers, and I can almost hear the click as everything falls into place. That’s when I know a data storyteller is born.

Read More

Strategy


Is Data Literacy Enough?

Over the past couple of years, data literacy has been getting its well-deserved moment in the sun. It is now considered the newest discipline in business acumen, right up there with market and financial literacy. But as I reflect on the approaches organizations are taking to build data literacy, I’m struck by an important question: […]

Read More

Strategy


When It’s An Insight — and How To Get There

If you really want to know where you stand as a provider of insight, it’s good to take a step back, objectively look at the experience and find your place on the insight matrix. While knowing you have an issue is a valuable first step, figuring out an escape route to a better vantage point […]

Read More

Strategy


What’s an Insight? (And Who Decides?)

While data analysis can uncover all kinds of useful information, not everything that is revealed is truly insightful. Read on for the boxes you should tick before you declare that you’ve uncovered an insight.

Read More

Tips


How RAD Are You? How to Get the Data Stories You Need

When the data stories aren’t delivering, it can be tough to figure out why. Applying the RAD principle can go a long way to helping you get back on course.

Read More

Strategy


Stories Must Stay True to Data

Reaching business goals does not come from spin. And putting conclusions before data helps no one. It is the storyteller’s job to translate the truth in the data—no matter how difficult it is to hear.

Read More

POET Technique


Every Page is a Story

Strong data stories stand alone – they don’t depend on a human voice-over to deliver clear insights that demand action. Read on to see how the POET Technique™ works to make every page matter in your story.

Read More

Design


All Good (Data) Stories Start at the End

How do businesses keep insights flowing when physical distance is the norm? It’s harder, but not impossible. Data storytelling frameworks help lead the way.

Read More

Strategy


Make Data Matter

It’s never about the data. It’s about what the data can help us understand, and how it can bring us together to act. Articulating that value is how we truly make data matter. [Disclaimer: This article was written just before the start of Canada’s COVID-19 lockdown, and so much has changed in the months since […]

Read More

Tips


What Story Is Your Data Telling?

Presenting data to create a business case that inspires action goes far beyond charts and graphs

Read More

Design


The Three Core Steps to Data Storytelling

Building an effective data story is based on a sequential process;  – first data, then narrative, and finally visualization.

Read More

With Storylytics, anyone can be a storyteller

Turn your data into action with Storylytics

Turn your data into
 action with Storylytics