Drowning in a Sea of Data

Do you ever feel like your organization has oceans and oceans of data but a veritable desert of information?  We see that in many of the organizations we work with, and we hear their frustration.
I was invited last month to speak at the 2015 Governor’s Quality Award Healthcare Seminar coordinated by the Baldrige-based program serving Arkansas. http://www.arkansas-quality.org  At the request of the conference sponsors, I spoke on the topic, “Using Data to Improve Performance and Drive Accountability.”
One of the problems that organizations face with an overwhelming amount of data is a lack of clear focus around which to rally the workforce.  The most important opportunities for improvement are often difficult to discern in the noise of too many reports and too many graphs.
Another problem in these organizations is frequently an inability to make meaning of the data.  Without proper data visualization techniques, the real problem is often obscured by clever, sophisticated charting that does little to inform the viewer on what should be done.
There is overwhelming evidence that an engaged workforce creates a competitive advantage.  Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report found “Engaged workers stand apart from their non-engaged and actively disengaged counterparts because of the discretionary effort they consistently bring to their roles.  These employees willingly go the extra mile, work with passion, and feel a profound connection to their company.  They are the people who will drive innovation and move your business forward.” http://www.gallup.com/services/178517/state-global-workplace.aspx
What we have found is that transforming data into information is a key element to engaging an organization’s workforce.  If you’d like to learn more, read my article published in the Summer 2015 edition of Arkansas Hospitals, send me an e-mail.   We’d also like to hear from you on how you’ve helped your organization tame the angry ocean of data!
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