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Data is Reactive. Research is Proactive.
Many people put a tremendous amount of emphasis on data.
Why?
There are many reasons, that all sound like “the numbers don’t lie and everyone else is doing it.”
What would you say if I said that data alone doesn’t help your strategy?
How about if I said it can hurt your strategy?
Why would I say that?
Because all data looks backward.
All data is focused on the past.
Your data is perfect insight into what people did.
The challenge of strategy is creating a better future.
There is tension in this idea summed up by Roger L. Martin’s question: “What would have to be true?”
The reality is data is the past.
Strategy is the future.
Change is constant.
As NBA legend, Pat Riley said, “The only thing that is certain in life is change.”
Our focus on the future mixed with constant change forces us to be skeptical about how much we rely on data.
Why?
Customer needs can change quickly.
Fads can come and go.
