Comments on: I said, ‘Do you speak-a my language?’

By: Gianetta

Gianetta — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:08:03 +0000

Ferenc – Excellent…. It is always difficult to present reports in such a way that all members of the team understand, from the finance team to the management team.
Pictures (Diagrams and graphs) seem to be the common denominator, the only language they all understand. Anything that makes this process quicker would be an enormous investment, especially if it means everyone is able to speak the same language at the one meeting.

By: Phil Owens

Phil Owens — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:10:47 +0000

Ferenc – a great dashboard will save AT LEAST that amount of time. Helping people see how their business is running when they have too much data to mentally process is such an important thing. It takes wisdom and intellect to decide what goes on the dashboard, though…. choose the wrong metrics and you are looking at the wrong part of the business! I often find businesses forget the ‘K’ in KPI – KEY. Without knowing where they want the business to be, and what they can measure to ensure it is in track, it ends up being GIGO (Garbage in, Garbage Out). But I am sure that the right dashboard can make a massive difference as the volume of data increases in a business.

By: Paul Hassing

Paul Hassing — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:36:39 +0000

Phil’s rather good like that, Ferenc! My ‘dashboard’ is a single-page, multicloloured spreadsheet. It’s as sophisticated as a piece of butcher’s paper covered in crayon, but that’s the limit of my analytic skills. Though rudimentary, I can at least vouch for its value as a concept. It’s great to be able to scan vital business metrics at a glance.

By: fmantfeld

fmantfeld — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:10:40 +0000

Wow Phil, thanks for that. Excellent feedback.!
I wrote a blog some time back, on dashboards and how they ought to be designed. It’s still online at http://smdbi.blogspot.com/2009/03/myth-of-corporate-dashboard.html (got to love the net, web pages are forever!). We have adhered to these principles (clear layout, present information that is quickly & easily transformed into understanding) when designing the dashboards in Rubihawk. Also learned a lot from reading Ed Tufte’s book.

One of our recent customers downloaded Rubihawk and then told me that as the Commerical director, our software has saved him 10 hours per week. That is an incredible testimony to the power of clarity and simplification. All because the information was appropriate, accurate and easy to see in an instant.

Our approach recognizes that all organizations have data, the primary purpose of any reporting tool is to turn the data into information. That is step 1. We then couple that information with knowledge & experience and go through an analysis stage. Rubihawk is an analysis tool that runs in tandem with MYOB providing flexible & clear insight into financial and operational information. Once we apply the analysis, it leads to understanding / wisdom. This then fosters the confidence to make clearer / faster business decisions. Until we achieve this last part, it is all hocus pocus.

The hardest part is getting people to let go of their comfort blankets, the way they have always done things, and embrace a new, more efficient way to do things. Sometimes it can be a paradigm shift and only when the need is so strong that the pain of the status quo is larger than the force of inertia / resistance to change, do we stand a hope of being able to help. This is whywe often work so well with business transformation specialists, like coaches, business advisors, accountants who provide business mentoring, etc.

By: Phil Owens

Phil Owens — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:07:38 +0000

Great topic. Everyone has a different ‘reality’ full of their own symbols. They can share these with others through language, which the shared ‘currency’ of understanding. The car salesman, Emma – no respect for your reality, so should NOT get your business!.

Dashboards and images are great when the information is appropriate and accurate. Information is not knowledge, and insight and wisdom are a step further back. Many people provide over-long reports to show how much they know, rather than communicate for understanding.

Some people are visual, others are ‘AD’ (and need data/information). Providing BOTH in the right amounts can ensure that you speak to the other’s reality and influence them to understand. The right supporting picture and information together – may be worth 2000 words!!

By: fmantfeld

fmantfeld — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:31:55 +0000

Hey Mark. the idea of a plastic life-size model is fantastic. The plastic models will never have a hair or roach on them either.

Makes me think of how many times you see a massive picture of a menu item, yet what is served on my plate seems like a miniature replica. Maybe I should be eating smaller portions anyway

By: fmantfeld

fmantfeld — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:27:53 +0000

Ah Dave, you open the proverbial can of worms there, but questions well worth asking when you want to dig down deep!

Fantastic comments, but complex answers.

Thanks for your feedback

By: fmantfeld

fmantfeld — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:24:45 +0000

Finance & Accounting to an engineering team? Boy you sure know how to pick your battles David! I can almost tangibly feel your frustration

By: Mark Patane

Mark Patane — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:05:01 +0000

You are completely correct- a picture IS worth a thousand words! I was in a similar situation in Taiwan last month, but was in the fortunate postion where all food at all cafes/restaurants had either photos or full size plastic replica. This was even better as not only could I see the type of food but also the amount. All at glance! All I had to do was point and grunt… much like how I communicate with my accountant! Turning Exel spreadsheets and MYOB Data into meaningful information that is easily understood at glance is invaluable.
Being able to view the data from different angles, gives a 3D view much like the plastic food replica. Good work Ferenc!

By: DBowler

DBowler — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 07:25:28 +0000

Too right Emma, when in the initial instance the call to your family member(s) could have been avoided if only the salesperson had related to your circumstance & went to the effort to ask you the right questions to find your specific need. Then from there to provide the right solution &/or possible additional options to the product you were requiring. Instead the reflection they have given comes across as a bit ignorant.. (‘just looking for that sale’) regardless of the customers need type scenario.
Sometimes you just need to take a step back & go back to basics… in this case, Genuinely find out why/what/where peoples needs & experience are at then provide with the right solution.
*Finding the right material to relate isn’t always easy, however once it is established a number of problems/errors are eliminated*.