WARREN BENNIS ON THE VITAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFORMATION AND MEANING
Use this as a reminder to check that you have understood/interpreted the information you have correctly.
Warren Bennis (1925–2014) was an academic, management consultant and writer. He recognised that in today’s world leaders have access to an enormous amount of information when they are faced with making a decision. Indeed, the sheer volume of information available can cloud rather than enhance the decision-making process. He observed that:
There is a profound difference between information and meaning.
Warren Bennis
A good example of the difference between information and meaning is provided by newly diagnosed cancer sufferers. In recent research, over 30 per cent of patients who were awaiting confirmation of diagnosis thought that a positive result meant they were free of cancer. They had the information but misunderstood its meaning.
WHAT TO DO
- First you need to identify what information you intend to take account of in your deliberations. To help you do that use Vilfredo Pareto’s famous theory (the Pareto Principle) that, in any situation, 20 per cent of the population in question will contain 80 per cent of the value. In this case, 20 per cent of the data you have will contain 80 per cent of the information you need to make your decision.
- Use your experience of the organisation, the market you operate and past decisions to identify what information is important.
- The Pareto Principle doesn’t solve your problem. Rather it provides a tool to save time and point you towards where the most effective action can be taken. If you have an issue, always start by identifying the vital few.
- Concentrate your attention on this 20 per cent of information. Seek to understand it fully. Find the people who produced the information and ask them what it actually means. For example, many managers I’ve worked with have made decisions based on financial information that they didn’t fully understand. But they were too embarrassed to ask for clarification because they didn’t want to appear stupid.
- Check to see whether the information is pessimistic (often the case with accounting projections) or overly optimistic (regularly the case with sales managers’ forecasts).
- Be willing to collect vital information from those who know what’s really going on, i.e. the front-line staff (see Quotation 54).
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Who do I rely upon for supplying me with decision-making information? How good has the information been?
- What other sources of information should I regularly access when making a decision?