Data Fetish

da·ta  –noun
1. a pl. of datum.
2. ( used with a plural verb ) individual facts, statistics, or items of information: These data represent the results of our analyses. Data are entered by terminal for immediate processing by the computer.
3. ( used with a singular verb ) a body of facts; information: Additional data is available from the president of the firm.

fet·ish  –noun
1. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.
2. any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high grades.

The other day I was sitting in a conference about something or other (most likely about consulting or marketing) and after about an hour of patiently waiting for knowledge to come pouring down from my orators mouth into my open mind, I looked down at my paper and realized that the only thing I had written was 'Data Fetish'. Reviewing the presentation in my mind I could only recall a dizzying flurry of numbers and statistics and thinking 'So what's the point?' To quote Marshal McLuhan the medium has for many organizations become the message and in this case the medium is numbers. I think in the nonprofit space there is an interesting bifurcation into two camps, one camp of people running the mom and pop nonprofits with no data tracking systems at all and no idea of what to do with the data once it was tracked and then another camp of people (probably mostly at foundations) with a full fledged Data Fetish, who simply can't make a decision without looking at a complex excel model.

Frankly I don't think either end of the spectrum is particularly right. Those data agnostic are often operating with either a total ignorance of the power of data (and as such wasting precious resources) or operating with a fear of what the numbers will tell them (and as such wasting precious resources). The data fetishist are convinced that their numbers are the god's own truth (totally forgetting that the numbers could be wrong or were derived from completely bat shit wild guesses and baseless assumptions) or are so fixated with getting the data that important decisions are tabled until this magic-cure-all data can be found (and as such, wasting precious resources).

I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Don't get me wrong, I'm as evidence driven as the next fancy pants management consultant but I never forget that data is just a tool that informs one's judgement - it is NOT the judgement - and I also remember that judgement without a base of information is just some crazy bat shit guess.

So what's the answer? Well it lies somewhere between my two favorite quotes:

"It is not enough to do your best. First you must know what to do, and then do your best"

&

"A good plan in time is better than a great plan too late"

-C