Confirmation bias is one of the most significant obstacles to good data-driven decision-making. The old adage “Seeing is believing” has been misleading us for years. The reality is the opposite: believing is seeing. What we believe has a much greater impact on how we see data (if we even “see” it at all). Not only do… (read more)

Last week, Washington State Senator Maureen Walsh found herself in hot water. During a debate on a medical bill, she made an off-handed comment about nurses. She said that they “probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.” After a fierce nationwide backlash, Walsh apologized. This isn’t unusual these days. In any given week, I see… (read more)

The other day I was speaking with a leader about bringing my Rethinking Data workshop into her organization.  Before I could get too far she stopped me.  She said, “Brad, we don’t need your workshop. We are a heavily data-driven organization.”  Then, to back up her statement, she showed me several “data-rich” presentations and reports. The presentations contained… (read more)

The Midwest is bracing for some cold weather. Forecasts around the Chicago area predict some of the coldest temperatures in Chicago’s history (at least in the history of recorded temperatures). As Chicagoans gear up for the cold, the “old timers” are rolling their eyes. They tell us that while our forecasted -55 wind chill is cold,… (read more)

Let’s face it, the business world has become quite uncertain.  Helping people manage through that uncertainty can be difficult.  Many leaders feel similarly challenged as they are often as unsure about what is happening as are their teams. We know that uncertainty breeds anxiety.  An anxious workforce is not a productive, happy, or engaged workforce…. (read more)

This is a repost from last year. Still a good reminder. ——————————————————————- Are you doing the right things? I’ve noticed a fundamental difference between high level leaders and the rest of us when determining what actions to take. They start with one question: will this solve the problem           ? If the answer is “yes”, they… (read more)

Do you talk with people anymore? It seems that although the internet and social media have supposedly shrunk the world, they’ve also shrunk our interactions. Everything has become transactional. When was the last time you called someone to schedule a meeting? It’s much faster to coordinate through an instant message or email, right? But here’s the… (read more)

Back by popular demand… The 2018 PNC Christmas Price index puts the price of purchasing all of the gifts for each day of the twelve days of Christmas at $170,609.46 (up 0.5% from last year). Holiday time can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be for good leaders. The following list contains gifts that will last a lifetime. Best… (read more)

REPOST from Feb, 2017 – This problem seems to be getting worse rather than better. ————————————————————————————– Warren Buffet recently released his annual investor letter. It was twenty-nine pages long. It was refreshing to see. In a world where we increasingly hear that we must be brief due to decreased attention spans, Buffet chose to go with substance. I believe… (read more)

Conversation has become war.  Just look at the headlines: Man destroys anti-abortion argument with a simple question Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez DESTROYS Conservative Troll Massive research analysis destroys conservative argument against letting trans people transition Professor ‘Totally Destroys’ Student In This Email After He Asks For A Grade Bump Law Professor Absolutely Destroys Student Letter Protesting Her… (read more)