Blinded by the Data: When Analytics Overshadows Judgment, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

The HCL Review Podcast

Abstract: This article discusses the potential risks that can emerge when organizations overly on data-driven decision making by focusing excessively on quantitative analysis and metrics to the exclusion of important qualitative human factors. The article explores common pitfalls such as leaders losing sight of broader strategic perspectives and higher-level business drivers when immersed in granular data points, organizational chaos and paralysis resulting from constant A/B testing without clear objectives, over-quantification discounting important but difficult to measure "soft" elements like culture, talent and leadership that profoundly shape performance, and overconfidence in the perceived objectivity of models overlooks inherent biases. The article advocates balancing quantitative and qualitative lenses to gain a more textured understanding of complex dynamics by supplementing metrics with perspectives from ethnography and stakeholder input to provide needed context as numbers alone do not replace prudent application of human judgment and experience, and for data-driven initiatives to achieve tangible impacts, analytics must inform innovation and change management rather than replace continuous improvement processes, such that with moderation and integration of multiple viewpoints, data can empower rather than control strategic decision making.