Summary
An outline of how to improve chances of achieving your goals and confidently build a strategy that will be successful. The post includes tips for getting your numbers from the numbers (aka discerning your data).
In a few conversations the last week, colleagues have told me they have numbers. The first client said she feels so relieved to finally get “her numbers to the numbers.” She now understands how to improve her chances to achieve her goals and confidently build a strategy that will be profitable and meet her community’s needs.
The difference in knowing
If you are someone who doesn’t think about categories, cataloguing, schema, and nuance daily- “getting numbers for your numbers” might seem like a redundant statement. However, to me, this comment implied an understanding of nuance and situational awareness. The client overlayed her community’s needs with her business reality to identify potential opportunities. Empowered by clarity, she set her goals and took control of her business in a new way to yield the results she wants.
The second conversation was the opposite. Sadly, the person had lots of data, but didn’t know what any of it meant. It was unclear to her what was actionable today and what was possible tomorrow. As a result, she was stressed and struggling to stay in business. Because she was scattered and lacked focus, she was desperate for a magical fix instead of the stability that comes with a strategy and a goal.
Finding your numbers
How to be like client #1:
First, ask if the numbers you have right now are helpful. Is it serving a purpose that meets your needs? Is the number enabling you to measure progress? Does your number benefit your goals or align with your strategy?
Second, you will need to committed asking and answering yourself about your own needs. In a sense, it is data therapy. You will need to be honest with yourself about what you hope to accomplish and why that goal is important.
While you might coast with your gut intuition and spontaneous ideas, how will you know when you have achieved your goals? When will you know something isn’t working, or worse, wasting money, energy or time?
Lastly, you start reviewing your information and match them to your needs. You refine and iterate until your next steps becomes clear. You stop wasting time with guesses, and save energy with a strategy.
What are the numbers?
With the statement “find your numbers to the numbers,” I am referring to definitions, labels, and language. Specifically, it is how you describe and organize your information.
For example, in Table 1, we have budgets for Jazz and Blue. Notice, both Jazz and Blue have a number for each line item, but the actual budgets are different. Jazz put their savings for vacation, but not a home. Blue allocated savings for a Home Purchase, but not a vacation.
In fact, from observing the totals for each item in the list, it is obvious they have different needs and goals. This demonstrates how the number and your number are different. Heck, they are different for almost everyone.
Saving for vacation or a home is a choice of priorities- neither is “wrong” or “right.” In each case, they answer the question, “How will I know I’ve met my goal?”
Next Steps can be small steps
How to find “the numbers” for your next opportunity
- Create a list of all “the numbers” you know today and all the numbers you wish you knew, but don’t.
- Define and describe your unknowns using plain language
- Identify where your numbers come from: bank website, accounting software, client feedback, etc.
Download my template
If you need a template to get started, download mine for free. I mean free; there is no data pay wall here. However, if you find it useful, consider putting time on your calendar to chat with me or learn more about data storytelling’s services.
Finally, this exercise is not a speed test.
How long it takes to complete each step and finish the list depends on many variables: time, energy, organizational maturity, resource capacity, etc. If you need help, or would like some guidance, consider scheduling a consultation.