Sometimes, we stop just short of the finish line. The old adage is true that the last 100 meters are the most critical, but also the most riddled with failure.
We spend hours on an analysis, working the code, making sure it’s right, and getting the visuals to look nice. And then we plop it on someone’s desk or email and hope something happens.
I think we do this because the work of analysis feels intelligent, intellectual, and demanding. It makes us feel smart when we overcome analysis problems and we feel a rush of achievement when we produce a “final product.” And we feel done and accomplished.
Don’t stop there! That’s like spending an afternoon cooking up a fabulous three course meal, and then putting it out in your backyard and hoping that someone notices.
It’s insane. It’s inane.
Don’t let your analysis be mundane!
Finish the job.
You aren’t done with an analysis until you have answered the following two questions:
Do we have a problem (or opportunity)? How big is it?
When you answer the first question, you are forced to make a statement and draw a conclusion. When you answer the second, you are forced to make a declaration on how important your statement was, and why anyone should care.