Edition 39: Collecting dots, connecting dots.

Welcome to Data Uncollected, a newsletter designed to enable nonprofits to listen, think, reflect, and talk about data we missed and are yet to collect. In this newsletter, we will talk about everything the raw data is capable of – from simple strategies of building equity into research+analytics processes to how we can make a better community through purpose-driven analysis.

Take a look at these completely unrelated images I pulled from the internet. And I mean, really stare at it for a few minutes.

What do you make of it? Hint: data.

From what I see, these two are somewhat unrelated images. To me, the left is us – messy, complicated, stories-led us. And the right is our data and algorithms – added with our innate compulsion to place everything neatly in boxes to be able to read data.

If image A is our reality IRL, image B is our algorithmic reality.

To pursue image B as the goal is dangerous. What if there exists a new shape like “Ω*β*∞”? Where does that fit in image B? It is likely that “Ω*β*∞” will be discarded or lost.

You and I are in that empty whitespace between those two images. We are learning, together, to question – how did we end up obsessing over image B for our data? 

Our reality – yours and mine – is that image A. It has much more than we can fit in neat data structures for our societal and structural benefits. So, this is what you and I are focusing on today – how do we fill that whitespace with consciousness, caution, and intention?

We build data exercises that push us to think more and think deeper. And I don't mean limiting ourselves to drafting a data usage guide. Instead, I am talking about activities that push our teams to come together to define and acknowledge our collective comforts, challenges, and interests meant to guard that data usage guide-like documents.

Remember, edition 04: Speak Data Together? Well, this is another flavor of that. I am listing here 7 group exercises you and I can do with our teams to build that consciousness, caution, and intention collectively.

The purpose of these exercises is to enable a data culture within our teams in ways that

• builds safety (i.e., ensuring that the group feels safe and connected in bringing their diverse perspectives around data),
• allows vulnerability (i.e., ensuring that the group feels comfortable in bringing their fears and challenges around data), and,
• establishes purpose (i.e., ensuring that the group sets and pursues a “why” behind every data-driven task desired and undertaken)

While data can be an afterthought, our collective data values must not.

So, establish some ground rules (and we can talk about that separately) and build on these exercises:

Exercise #1: 

• Task: Everybody goes around the room to say 3 things they want out of data.
• Frequency: at least 45 mins discussion, bi-annually 
• Benefit: one, it forces everyone to think about what they (individually) could vs. should be looking out of data, and two, it establishes those wants out loud (collectively).

Exercise #2:

• Task: Create space in a team meeting for people to showcase their data project. This could be about a data project done individually at the desk or with a group in remote working. Don’t just focus on the high-level problem-solution approach. Instead, encourage to highlight the smallest details – like 

1. did they overcome any challenges and barriers to solving the problem?
2. did they find any limitations with how data currently lives in their project?
3. did they leverage their existing skills?
4. if and how did the team help them in the project?
5. what would they suggest if someone has to take that data project next time?

• Frequency: 20-mins, every other team meeting
• Benefit: one, it allows everyone (a “data person” or not) to think + showcase their work, and two, it brings the team together in celebrating small wins around data – from a diverse set of perspectives.

Exercise #3:

• Task: Everyone goes around the room to say 3-things they find challenging about “data” (not like “I expected him to give me my report but haven’t received it) and 3-things they, individually, can do to make an impact on those challenges. Have people write each other’s challenges so they can respond to each other with their ideas and wisdom.
• Frequency: 20-mins group discussion, once every three months
• Benefit: one, it forces everyone to distinguish between data problems vs. people problems, and two, it builds individual accountability while sharing out loud for the collective team.

Exercise #4:

• Task: Everyone in the room goes around to say
• two types of data-led projects they would be interested in engaging in – one, that directly helps them in their job productivity/output, and two, that is innovative/creative in a way that helps the mission of the organization in the long run. Ask everyone to include reasons like why they picked their chosen projects and what long-term behavioral changes would be needed for them to succeed.
• by the end, ask everyone to pick a piece of those two projects to be included in their growth goals.
• Frequency: at least 45 mins discussion, annually
• Benefit: one, it allows everyone to be creative in two ways – short-term-role-related and long-term-mission-related. Two, tying a piece of that discussion back to growth goals make it tangible for everyone to be invested in it.

Exercise #5:

• Task: Take a group class on a data topic together. Create some time and space to discuss how the learning can be translated for the organization's individual job roles and collective mission.
• Frequency: this depends on budget. Remember, if you are including an external trainer or facilitator, create a budget to pay for your trainer’s time.
• Benefit: one, it adds an easy way to do continuous learning collectively, and two, doing discussion after allows to make the learnings tangible.

Exercise #6:

• Task: Create space for data-role reversals! That means, 
• divide the room into two groups – the leaders/managers in one and the individual contributors in the other. Now, ask the leaders/managers to walkthrough/perform some “hands-on” tasks on data for the other group. It could be making visualizations, summarizing a 5-page report, or coming up with data collection ideas.
• during this time, have the individual contributors make manager-like decisions for the overall organizational data strategy. Encourage them to think like leaders responsible for the organization to develop solutions around org-wide data usage.
• then have each group listen to the other group’s approach and output. Each group has to give feedback to the other on where and why things went right and could be improved.
• Frequency: 90-min discussion annually.
• Benefit: one, it forces everyone to be uncomfortable differently, and two, it allows everyone to seek wisdom from other roles by action (not just words).

Exercise #7: 

• Task: Everyone in the room picks their selected specific number/metric from a daily report and offers a story around it to the group. For example, it could be the donor acquisition rate, and someone shares a story of how one time they tried everything and then did so and so to get to this number today.
• Frequency: 20-mins, every other team meeting
• Benefit: one, it allows everyone to learn reading stories behind the numbers, and two, it will enable the listeners to hear a variety of techniques in storytelling. The stories would ensure that data is only powerful when we understand how to engage with it. There needs to be more than just seeing them (data) on pretty reports and dashboards!

*********************************

Take a look at this image again:

That image B of dots is too perfect. That perfection affects how a data point (represented by those dots) is collected, stored, and utilized. It also impacts who becomes part of the past, present, and future – and how. 

We should learn to do better if we want “Ω*β*∞” to find its space in the image.

No. The time for should is gone. We must learn to collect dots and connect (those) dots with consciousness, caution, and intention.

*** So, what do I want from you today (my readers)?

Today, I want you to share what resonates with you from this list of group-based data activities.

*** Here is the continuous prompt for us to keep the list of community-centric data principles alive.