Turning Data into Wisdom: How We Can Collaborate with Data to Change Ourselves, Our Organizations, and Even the World presents a 6-phase, 12-step process to help those at all levels of an organization use their knowledge, skills, and experience to make data-informed decisions that can help transform their companies—and sometimes, even the world. The many real-life examples and case studies as well as tools, definitions, and templates will help you feel equipped and empowered to understand, seek out, and discuss data with others, ultimately using this information to make the best decisions for your business and the people it serves.
In Turning Data into Wisdom, you will discover the following:
- What data literacy is (it’s more than just reading a chart)
- Why everyone should have a basic understanding of data literacy (your opinion matters)
- How our brains make decisions (there is a science to decision-making)
- How to become aware of individual and organizational bias (so we can grow as people while avoiding costly mistakes)
- How to turn data into wisdom (a clear process and methodology for turning data information into powerful insights for your company)
Reviews
This book was an eye-opener and a game-changer for me. As one who often makes intuitive judgements, I see how important it is, especially in these days, to become “data literate”. This author provides beautifully described methods and theories about data, like “the 6-phase Data-Informed Decision making Process”.
There’s also a beautifully written section on the Science of Decision Making; other sections on Cognitive Bias (very enlightening; we all have it, so many blind spots that get in our brain’s way).
I really love the phases of Data Acquisition: Ask, Acquire, Analyze, Assess Apply, Announce (he’s a poet!)
Also, the “Summary and Takeaway” at the end of each chapter makes this a valuable resource.
As one who flunked statistics in graduate school, and always felt daunted by “big data”, this wonderful, user-friendly book has changed me into one who embraces the richness of data!
~ Elaina Zuker, bestselling author and consultant
This is a book that is more than the sum of its parts.It is formatted like a textbook, and it provides a good review of basic and advanced terms that those who have taken statistics will recognize. But it’s not a data book, or a college textbook.I believe that Turning Data into Wisdom is a leadership book.
In his preface, Kevin Hanegan writes, “decision-making should celebrate diversity and inclusion and be a team sport, as these different perspectives allow you to see multiple sides of the data and what its story is.” Revealing that his son is autistic, Hanegan tailors this book to the diverse ways that leaders process data–and the high-quality decisions that come from diverse work cultures and data-processing models. After one chapter examining how bias and groupthink mar decision-making, Hanegan uses the bulk of the book to lay out a six-step decision-making process. I found this process really insightful, as did my wife, the CEO of a nonprofit.
Hanegan ends the book with a series of case studies, showing how the six-step process works in real time. Appropriately, he includes a case study of how he worked with his son’s school to address a behavior problem his son had faced.
I found the book engaging, worth holding onto as a resource for future big decisions. I would recommend it for organizational leaders who hope to make better decisions — who see data analysis as the key.
Full disclosure, I received an advance copy from the publisher. The opinions are my own.
~ James A. Dittes
