The Irregular Path of Data Analysis

Change does not happen in straight line. And we do a disservice when we thinking about “data driven decisions” as a simple sequence of events:
gather data —> do analysis —> find insights —> present insights —> action

Let’s take a few examples from outside the world of analytics:

1. In 1969, a community of Native Americans protested on the island of Alcatraz in the San Francisco bay. For 19 months, they occupied the island, demanding the return of the land. In the end, the protest fizzled and their demands were reject. However, their efforts were not ultimately without change. In the following years, President Nixon signed a series of bill to give back millions of acres of land to Native Americans and provide support for their communities.

2. Marketing professionals have had to embraced the messy, complex reality of multi-channel and multi-touch marketing. It recognizes that purchasing decisions aren’t a one-and-done conversion event. In fact, it can take 8 or 15 touches of a consumer to get to a purchase decision. That makes marketing more like a series of nudges than a single convincing argument.
Action comes about through a circuitous route.

Analytics professionals need to internalize this same lesson. It can change how you think about your role:
* Persistence in sharing your message > Perfection of message
* Many insightful nudges > A single comprehensive presentation
* Building relationships with your audience > Unassailable logic