Asking Better Questions with DataROBERT ROUSEANALYTICS CONSULTANT AND TABLEAU ZEN MASTERINTERWORKS, INC.

Imagine this Scenario

Sales DashboardProduct Sub-Category

Region

Central East South West

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

AppliancesBinders and Binder AccessoriesBookcasesChairs & ChairmatsComputer PeripheralsCopiers and FaxEnvelopesLabelsOffice FurnishingsOffice MachinesPaperPens & Art SuppliesRubber BandsScissors, Rulers and TrimmersStorage & OrganizationTablesTelephones and Communication $124,035

-$21,335

-$45,218

$90,413

-$11,216

$27,399

$96,497

-$580

Sales Dashboard – Take 2Product Sub-Category

Region

Central East South West

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

-$100,000 $0 $100,000Profit

AppliancesBinders and Binder AccessoriesBookcasesChairs & ChairmatsComputer PeripheralsCopiers and FaxEnvelopesLabelsOffice FurnishingsOffice MachinesPaperPens & Art SuppliesRubber BandsScissors, Rulers and TrimmersStorage & OrganizationTablesTelephones and Communication $124,035

-$21,335

-$45,218

$90,413

-$11,216

$27,399

$96,497

-$580

What’s Going on Here

Slight changes in the question leads to very different answers First impressions shape further inquiry Cognitive influences Organizational influences

The Power of Visual ComprehensionPre-Attentive Attributes

Source: Stephen Few, Tapping the Power of Visual Perception https://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/ie/visual_perception.pdf

Modes of Thinking

System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control

System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations.

Don’t Fool Yourself

The Pre-Attentive or “System 1” mode of thinking invites cognitive biases

What you see is all there is (WYSATI) Cognitive ease Norms based on experience Recency bias (especially with year-over-year comparisons) Plenty more where that came from: politics, personalities,

emotions…

Overcoming Cognitive Biases

Ask yourself: “What am I missing here?” Make it easy to ask new questions Validate the baseline comparison Think beyond your own experience

“PRODUCERS”-IT-BI-Developers

“CONSUMERS”-Analysts-Managers-Users

-Pipeline-Processes-Meetings…etc

Dealing with Structural Limitations

My best advice to leave you with:

Cultivate Curiosity