Personal & Leadership Skill: Collect, Organise, Analyse
and Critically Evaluate Information
Regardless of the position we hold at
work, we all deal with information daily. A massive amount of information is
passed back and forward on a moment by moment basis. Information and its
assimilation is big business. If you are in business, if you work or even as a
student, you will constantly deal with this skill. Efficiently collecting,
organising, analysing and critically evaluating information can mean the
difference of starting a new trend in your industry or being a tail-end trend follower.
This skill can be divided up into a
five step process: Defining the reason for the information, collecting the
information, organising it into some logical format, analysing, and lastly
critically evaluating the information.
1. The Reason:
The process starts with “Why?” Why do
you want the information, what do you want to know? What are you going to do
with the information? It may be as simple as: how many guests are coming to the
dinner party? Or it may be as complex as: How much fuel will it take to get the
craft to Mars, and how will that fuel weight affect the trajectory of that
craft?
Did you notice each statement in the
above paragraph contained at least one question? Information is a usually a response
to a question. The reason for your
information will determine what questions are asked, how they are asked and to
whom they are directed.
2. The Collection:
The reason for your information will
determine who you direct your questions to, and what questions should be asked.
Avoid leading questions during this
process. What is a leading question? This is a great article, isn’t it? This
question led you to the point where you focused your attention on the quality
of this specific article. If I wanted to know which article was your favourite,
this type of question may distort the data results providing me with a false
sense of the value of this article.
3. Organising:
The first
step in making sense of the information collected is arranging it correctly.
Accuracy and grouping of data determine the quality of the analyses. The person
responsible for this often tedious and seemingly unending task should be
patient and meticulous.
4. Analysing :
Analysing information talks to the
skill and ability to take data and turn it into a relatable and meaningful
story. This is a highly sought skill and companies are willing to pay
handsomely for this ability. Even though it is a high demand skill, it is also
relevant to our everyday living that holds the potential to help us create meaning
in our existence.
The quality of the analyses is
determined by how accurately we can identify the root cause to our issue or
problem. Speed is always a bonus, but the emphasis is definitely on the
accuracy of the solution.
5. Critically Evaluating:
Critical
Evaluation speaks to the ability to make decision on the basis of the
information provided. Decision making is a crucial skill, not only for leaders
and business, but in the personal lives of every person on the planet. We need
to be able to make decisions that can bring swift and cost effective resolution
and closure to the process.
People will often say that data collection is not their
forte, and bluntly dismiss this skill as a “specialised” ability that should be
saved for the gifted few. Nothing could be further from the truth. This skill
is important to everyone and relevant to every job level, from sweeper to CEO.
The task is often left to entry level staff to complete as it
is often regarded as time consuming and menial. Like a gymnastic display,
watching a beginner is not nearly as entertaining or as inspiring as watching
an Olympic athlete. Be the Olympic athlete. Read Article the on the 8 skills to keep you relevant in a rapid changing world
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