Understanding the World Around You

This page provides a quick view of how humans perceive the world around them. It points out how "no two people have the same worldview" because how we sense the environment depends upon our unique experiences. For instance, people who have spent time in combat may be averse to loud noises. Thus, this experience skews their initial information-gathering process in a loud, noisy environment. They may be so attuned to the discomfort the noise causes they may have difficulty noticing anything else in a new environment. This will cause them to later categorize that environment as little else than "noisy". 

Maybe it was a candle factory, and the colleague they were there with came away with a mainly olfactory perception that it was very smelly, even overwhelmingly so, because they have a perfume allergy and do not like strong smells. They did not even notice the noise. Another colleague, a visual artist, was positively engaged with all the colors used to create the candles. For them, the sound and the smell of the factory barely registered. 

This is the problem with going with your gut, especially if you are a boss. Your pre-existing perceptions will color your view of using data to improve decision-making. If your boss comes from an environment where "whatever the boss says goes", they may have little faith in the process or product your data analysis derives for them. They may think they know the answer to their or the client's question, and your findings would only confirm or question their anticipated outcome. A boss that insists on their gut as the final arbiter will only value your analytic findings when they confirm their view. 

This wastes time and resources for the organization if it supports a robust BI capability. Suppose your boss has an open mind or experience with data-driven processes effectively supporting decisions. In that case, your life will be easier, and your organization will benefit from your work, rather than only being supported by your boss' predetermined decisions that do not take the data into account. 

Sometimes the data takes us to places we do not expect. We must follow it to the end, and if the outcome is surprising, replicate the process to be sure the findings are accurate. If they are, the key will be in communicating them to an equally surprised decision-maker so they can be accepted as valid. When might you have gone with your gut and realized late that your perception took you in the wrong direction? Did you have an opportunity to correct the decision or interaction that resulted from starting with a misplaced perception? Did your realization come from absorbing and processing additional information or data?