All too often in business, management uses data to employ a perpetual test run, rather than inform sound decisions and put them in play. Racing, on the other hand, demands decisive action. In racing, information is key and feedback is a continual loop.
Racing is the constant search for the weakest link. – Duane Bailey
Data is collected on cars, drivers, weather and track conditions for real-time analysis and adjustments. Performance is optimized immediately, advancing the goal of entering the Winner’s Circle.
Face it: racing takes guts. Data analysis can be intoxicating or sobering, but savvy professionals know better than to ignore it. Instead, they use data to optimize performance. Marketing guru Seth Godin warns against employing analytics without action and says, “Don’t measure anything unless the data helps you make a better decision or change your actions.”
Shifting Gears
With analytics, meaningful patterns can be found in data that help you make better decisions more quickly. For instance, logical analysis sheds light on missed opportunities, misplaced energy and like good racing diagnostics, aids in optimizing performance.
Look at your data head on. Analytics can drive decisions that lead to more favorable outcomes. Let your team know you expect them to give it to you straight and not embellish the data. Supercharged analysis has no place in the boardroom. Use data to make more relevant day-to-day adjustments to take you where you want to go. After all, you’re in the driver’s seat and you’re in it to win.
