Embrace Facts and Data (Principle)

Last updated by Jeff Hajek on December 22, 2020

Far too often, people rely upon gut feel and opinion to make decisions. Whether this is done by leaders directing their teams, or by groups of problem solvers working on their projects, the outcome tends to be the same: poor results.

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Far too often, people act on instinct to make decisions.  They rely upon assumptions and opinions rather than facts and data.

As a result, problem solving efforts come up short and leadership decisions take the organization in the wrong direction.

The problem is that people overestimate their ability to make decisions without following a strong process. They tend to feel that they have a better understanding of the situation than they really do.

What Are “Facts and Data”?

Facts and data are the qualitative (facts) and quantitative (data) descriptors of the entity or situation under observation. The key is that both facts and data are not open to interpretation, and they are not dependent upon the person assessing them.

Facts and data are non-arbitrary. “He is too tall to be a pilot” is an opinion. “He is 6’4″ tall” is data. “His height exceeds the USAF height range for a pilot” is a fact. While the opinion may be correct, it is not presented in a way that precludes disagreement. Other people may have different opinions. Facts and data are not open to interpretation.

Better Decisions

The most obvious benefit of using facts and data to make decisions is that…

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