I can almost guarantee you’ve uttered (or heard) “where’s the so what?” at some point in your career. It’s one of the most common frustrations I hear from leaders when we start working together.
Often, well-intentioned guidance turns to familiar frameworks – SCR, SCQA, BLUF – to make data clear and concise. These frameworks are effective when executed well, but there’s a catch: the interpretive work they require is implicit.
That’s where many communicators get stuck. They know the answer, but the framework doesn’t force them to state it – so they breeze right through it without realizing.
The POET Technique™ (Purpose, Observation, Evaluation, and Transition) fills that gap. It’s a data storytelling framework that bridges data and decision, helping turn information into stories that create clarity, relevance, and confidence.
Understanding Traditional Data Storytelling Frameworks
The Gap in Traditional Frameworks
So why look at a different framework? There are certainly plenty in circulation we can draw from. Some of the more common approaches may sound familiar:
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- SCR (Situation, Complication, Resolution)
- SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question and Answer)
- BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
- Problem-Solution
They all work well in structuring arguments – but structure isn’t the same as story. It doesn’t serve the same purpose as drawing someone through the logic.
To be clear: these frameworks can accommodate evaluation – and when done well, naturally lead to strong transitions to action. In theory, the “Complication” in SCQA or the “Resolution” in SCR should include your assessment of why the data matters. But in practice? That assessment gets buried, assumed, or skipped entirely – especially when we’re close to the data or presenting to audiences who “should already know” the context.
Structure brings clarity – story brings connection.
While these models have a place in business communication – they’re great at providing structure and effectively moving from ask to answer – when it comes to data storytelling, they often only cover the beginning and end of the narrative.
They miss that juicy middle decision makers long for – where “what this is really telling us” is revealed through insight and judgment, giving depth, relevance, and actionability to the data.
And we’ve all seen what happens to recommendations when the audience can’t make sense of the why behind them – the corporate void is full of them.
How the POET Technique™ is Different
The POET Technique™ is more than simply a business communication framework; it’s a step-by-step process to bridge data and decision.
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- Purpose: Frame the question your story will answer.
- Observation: Reveal the evidence that matters.
- Evaluation: Assess how it answers the question.
- Transition: Apply understanding to action.
When you use this framework in your data delivery, each step forms a sentence that creates a story, supporting and guiding your data narrative.
What makes POET different isn’t that it includes steps others ignore – it’s that it makes the evaluation step explicit and unavoidable. You can’t jump from Observation to Transition without consciously pausing to evaluate. That forced pause is where the magic happens.
And the step that truly shifts where the value is delivered lies in the E.
“Isn’t this just good SCQA?”
Yes and no. When SCQA is executed well, the evaluation is there – embedded in the Complication (establishing what’s at stake), shaped into the Question (framing the outcome you need), and delivered in the Answer (connecting solution to impact).
But here’s what I see in practice: even experienced communicators who “know” SCQA can miss those evaluative elements. The Complication becomes just an observation. The Question becomes purely diagnostic. The Answer jumps to solution without connecting back to stakes.
Why? Because evaluation isn’t a discrete, named step in SCQA. It’s assumed you’ll weave it throughout – and when you’re close to the data, rushed, or uncertain, that assumption fails.
This same pattern shows up with Problem-Solution, SCR, and BLUF. The evaluative thinking that connects data to meaning gets embedded within other steps – and that’s precisely what makes it so easy to skip.
POET doesn’t replace these frameworks. It makes their intent explicit. It’s the framework that ensures you’re actually delivering what other frameworks assume you will – but that human nature and the curse of knowledge often cause us to skip.
Mastering the Evaluation Step in POET
The Power of the ‘E’ in POET
The magic of the POET Technique™ lies in the E: Evaluation. It calls out the step that most other frameworks bury in the process. And in doing so, it highlights how often it’s skipped, and the risk when it is.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard trainees grumble about “that darn E” when trying it out during a workshop. But when they get it right, they also immediately recognize its strength and how it transforms how they think about (and deliver) their stories.
Because what the E is doing is forcing a pause to consider the link between the data (the what) and action (now what).
How? Deceptively simple.
Bridge the data observation with an evaluation of the data, starting with the question “is that good?” That answer, and the accompanying “how come?” is the necessary link between the data and what’s next. It’s the risk or opportunity that evaluation uncovers, or the new perspective that brings a shift in the audience’s point of view.
Evaluation is where communicators move beyond simply showing results. It’s where you assess how the data answers the question you framed in Purpose. This is where insight becomes interpretation – and interpretation becomes influence.
When you take the time to evaluate, you connect your expertise to your audience’s world.
You shift from reporting to advising – from describing outcomes to shaping decisions.
When you offer the answer of “is that good” – which is basically what we’re looking for in “so what” – you’re in a position to open conversations, persuade your audience, and shape better decisions for your organization. You’ll be functioning as a trusted advisor.
Why the Evaluation Step is Often Skipped
In my experience, there are three reasons why professionals (at all levels) miss this step in their data story: too close to the information, too cautious to state, or a legitimate gap in knowledge.
- Too close: Classic curse of knowledge – we assume our audience shares our understanding and it feels silly to state what is “obvious.” (I’m making air quotes as you read that.) We leap from findings to action or recommendation without confirming the audience sees what we see, or exploring what they may also see.
- Too afraid: The flipside of overconfidence is under-confidence. This may stem from concern of being challenged, telling a story the audience doesn’t want to hear, or belief the audience knows more than we do, therefore their conclusions are of greater value than ours. And while that fear can be very real – especially in organizations where speaking up carries risk – it’s important to remember that you’re in the room for a reason. (This belief isn’t necessarily true – but unpacking it is a discussion for another day.)
- Don’t know: It’s important to acknowledge that sometimes we honestly don’t know the answer. I believe this is a function of acumen – knowing what levers are pushed and pulled in the business to make things happen. If we’re not sure, then it’s difficult to make an evaluation of the data. If this is the case, it’s a learning or development issue, not a failing of the story.
Whatever the source, the resulting gap in E shortchanges your audience and the value your insights could deliver.
The Risks of Skipping Evaluation
The role of a data storyteller is to create a clear, compelling, decision-ready narrative that opens an outcome-driven conversation. Mouthful, I know, but really, that’s what we’re here to do.
But when the data evaluation is skipped, it makes it impossible for the audience to join you on the journey from what’s known to what’s next – to follow your train of thought and buy in to your recommendations.
Depending on the reason E was missed, one of two things happens when it’s skipped.
If just data was presented (P and O), we’ve put the entire load on the audience to decide what’s relevant, assess the impact, and decide on action. This is the danger zone for misalignment and misunderstanding of data, and leads to slower decisions as extra steps are necessary for alignment. (Even if we’re just talking about the debate in the room.)
If it’s skipped and we have POT – well, this is where so many are living today. We miss the so what, and what’s worse, it makes it difficult to open a conversation because the audience doesn’t quite know where to start. Their thought is “I understand what’s been recommended, but I’m not sure why.” This is where the dreaded “what’s the so what here? what do you need from me?” pops up.
Implementing POET for Better Storytelling
How the POET Technique™ Results in Better Storytelling
What the POET Technique™ really teaches data storytellers to do is pause – to take a moment to consider what the data is saying and why that matters before jumping to action.
It requires the storyteller to take a clear position on the information and back it up, bridging that gap between knowledge and recommendation. This reduces the mental workload for your audience, making it easier for them to come to a decision.
The POET Technique™ introduces a pause that isn’t about slowing down – it’s about speeding up better decisions.
The Power of the Pause
In fast-moving environments, the instinct is to cut to the chase, moving straight from data to decision. But the POET Technique™ gives you a framework to pause – not for the sake of reflection, but for buy-in and precision.
When you take the time to evaluate, you’re not just reporting – you’re guiding.
That pause isn’t hesitation. It’s the moment of “so what” clarity that connects understanding to action. It’s where your story becomes sharper, your message clearer, and your audience more confident in their next step. You’re stepping into the role of a trusted advisor, helping decisions move forward with confidence.
Still missing the “so what?” question in your presentations? The POET Technique™ is our clients’ highest-rated framework for creating decision-ready data stories. Stop letting great insights get lost in translation. Book a consultation or contact us to discuss how we can help your team master this approach.
