“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.” — Jim Barksdale, former CEO of Netscape
“What gets measured gets done.” That’s an old saying I used to hear repeatedly in the business world. I have been thinking about it quite a bit lately, probably because of all the chaos that surrounds us in the world today. Chaos in government, chaos in small business, chaos in big business, chaos schools that cannot consistently meet, teach and learn, chaos in… well you get the picture.
According to Forbes.com, the “What gets measured gets done,” cliché may have actually originated as early as the 1500’s, as the saying, “If you can measure it, you can manage it.” In case you have challenges with math, that would be around 500 years that people have been speaking the wisdom of measurement to promote…mmmm, let’s say, insight, productivity and results! There is a scripture, Ecclesiastes 1:9 that says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
I don’t want to prolong the inevitable or write 500 words before I tell you what you already know I’m going to say. Documentation, measurement and evaluation are key variables in your quest to accomplish anything in your work and in your life. Believe it or not, it’s probably easier in your work because the kids and spouses aren’t always up for documentation and measurement but nonetheless, they are inevitabilities if we want to get things done; and yesss the outcome of those great inevitabilities are insight, results and productivity.
Documentation Begins the Process of Data Gathering
Now, beware of dead data gathering that ends up in the back of your dead data files… which is some file in a file cabinet that we pay no attention to until we move to another office or leave altogether and we have no choice but to go through the files in those drawers; or you could be on the receiving end of a workforce reduction in which you have been given a day to clear out your office before leaving the premises. In this case, more than likely, you can escape without reading through the files because you will most likely be filled with so much anger and confusion that you either won’t care what the files say or you’ll be too stunned and confused to read them. You’ll then most likely just toss or shred. Just being real about how our files ultimately get cleaned out! And no, this is not my story.
I can however, share my story on a data gathering venture. Years ago, I took over the management of a medical interpreting program for a large health system. Initially the lead person provided interpreting for two hospitals but was beginning to be called to two others. She was also needed at multiple clinic sites, but it was impossible for her to provide services to so many locations. External agencies were used instead. The volume of patients needing medical interpreting was rising steadily and definitely had the attention of middle and upper management for a variety of reasons – quality patient care and expense being two of them.
I could easily see after initial conversations, shadowing and review of some documentation with the coordinator that three things needed to happen as quickly as possible.
- The coordinator was overworked and underpaid but very happy in her job, so I wanted to keep it that way. I wanted to change her from hourly to salaried to give her more freedom in her scheduling and a pay rate that better reflected her level of responsibilities.
- We needed to expand services to cover the entire system and reduce agency costs with internal staff.
- We needed more staff to keep up with the patient volume.
I needed data! All three would require data gathering. Data to support Item #1 could adequately be obtained from payroll records and an updated job description. Items 2 and 3 would require much more refined information to justify what I was looking for. Adding staff and increasing costs in a non-revenue generating department in healthcare or any other industry is not easy without the numbers and the rationale to justify it. Needless to say, the rationale better justify the cost.
Measurement Gives Us Data We Can Work With
Information means nothing if it is just information on a piece of paper. For example, in this case, it would be nice to track how many patients needed an interpreter each day. But that is not enough to measure the needs of the patients nor would it help us define our objectives. So when gathering data, think of what you need, why you need it and what you need to be able to do with the data when you are done. In some cases you may have more than you need, but when you aren’t sure, it is better to have a little bit more than you need than not enough. Many times we collected more data than was needed in one time-frame but the following month or the following year, that extra data was needed for another reason. Because we collected it, we had a good amount of data to use.
In the scenario I described, we did not just need information on the number of patients who used a medical interpreter, we needed to measure how many interpreter requests we received, how many times we were unable to provide an interpreter in a timely manner, who provided the interpretation (internal or external), and therefore, at what cost, the length of interpretations so we could determine averages and better predict costs, number of requests by language, requests received by location and more. The information gathered was needed, not for one month but for longer lengths of time, ie, the previous 12 months with the ability to compare data from month to month and from year to year so we could identify trends.
Evaluation of the Data Provides the Interpretation Needed to Make it Meaningful
Identifying trends is where we gain valuable insights and meaning from the data we gather. Sometimes we look at a page full of numbers and words and it means nothing but when someone interprets the data for us and translates it into relevant reasoning, it becomes meaningful. It’s much the same as when a lawyer begins to speak legalese or doctors begin to engage in medical speak; they are speaking to each other and thus speaking their own language, oblivious to the fact that others have no real concept of what they are talking about. Sometimes, I honestly think people do that on purpose, just to show that they can… like people who use big words because they can, not because they add any meaning to what they are saying. Contrary to what they believe, such individuals are not very exciting to talk to, but I digress.
Insight, Results & Productivity
Data gathering and reporting may seem monotonous and time consuming and it actually is, if nothing ever comes of it, but when it is done correctly, it can be used for so many reasons and can accomplish so much. As indicated earlier, the right data, captured over time can provide insight, results and can aid increasing our productivity. The key is truly to make sure it is meaningful and that that meaning gets shared and applied where applicable.
Insight
Sometimes when we start out with a project or a new work assignment, we don’t know what information we need because we don’t know enough about the work that is being done or that needs to be done. In this case the data gathering may be to help gain insight. As shared above that insight can then create a detailed picture of what is and what needs to be. That’s what we want. Paint a picture with the data! Then you can determine the ultimate results being sought.
Results
Other times, however, we know what and how much, we are doing but we might need the data to show that we are reaching or have reached the results we were seeking. In the interpreting scenario, the goal was that we would be able to handle more patient volumes in-house and at a lower cost, once we added more staff. We did achieve that goal and were able to show it through ongoing data collection. We actually, went beyond that, and showed that total interpreter patient volumes increased because the overall quality and quantity of the service had improved.
Productivity
When we measure the work we are doing and begin to recognize patterns and results, we begin to know upon what to focus our time and attention. Now instead of running willy nilly around this task and that, when neither is important in the scheme of things, we know what legitimately deserves our attention.
Be Cautious in How Data is Handled
Data isn’t always clean and data isn’t always accurate. Be careful and be sure that there is a level of accountability built in to keep the data coming consistently and there is monitoring to ensure the data is accurate. When there is accountability and monitoring, there is a greater chance that the information being gathered will withstand any impending scrutiny.
Leaders are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the data they utilize and present. With the accountability and monitoring, the integrity should be maintained with ease, provided you as a leader are accustomed to operating with integrity. Dr. Deborah Birx, former Coronavirus Response Coordinator who has been in the news a great deal in recent days, shared a relevant example. She stated that she regularly analyzed and prepared data reports and charts for public presentations but the data was not used. Information would be shared by the former president but it did not include the data she had prepared, nor was it consistent with the data she had gathered. She indicates she did not know who was preparing these reports and where the reported data was coming from. I won’t add to what she said, as I am sure you can figure out what it all means but what I will say is that data can be skewed, data can be falsified and data can be omitted. Ultimately, we can do whatever we want with data and information, which is why integrity is of the utmost importance. Guard it! You cannot and will not succeed in leadership and in leaving a meaningful legacy without integrity.
Closing Thoughts
I have seen settings where data was valued and gathered but it was never analyzed and therefore not used. That’s when it becomes a fruitless exercise in futility. And leaders, do NOT be fooled into thinking that people don’t realize you have them gathering data that you have done absolutely nothing with. You can then, not be surprised when they inadvertently stop recording and gathering… and you start to get the “Oops, I forgot” or “Oh, I thought we stopped doing that,” claims. So begin the data gathering process with Documentation, then measure what matters to gain insight, determine results and increase short term and long term productivity. Once we have gathered quality, thorough information, a very important next step is to add meaning. We are wasting our time when we share raw meaningless data with others and we lose their attention. Paint a meaningful picture of what they need to know so you can achieve meaningful results in the end!
“The core advantage of data is that it tells you something about the world that you didn’t know before.”
– Hilary Mason