Where I work there are a lot of agendas, egos and politics. Your garden variety corporate BS. My job is bulldozing past it and executing programs that will either reduce operating expense, deliver top-line growth or deliver on our mission/promise to our customers… That is my agenda. I leave my ego at home and I abhor politics. I’ve learned over time that even the most articulate, logical and well researched position can rarely combat the BS without some shocking or provocative numbers.
Enter simple math. I love simple math, often referred to corporately as “data” or “insights.” (quotes for sarcastic inflection) While on the spot calculations are not my strong suit (that is what God made Excel for) I know how to tell a story. Simple stuff really, my favorite is probably tact rate. If you want to get to ‘x’ by ‘y date’ and you churn out ‘z daily’… you need to increase your rate by 441%. Watch the jaws drop and the troops assemble. Priceless.
I am thankful for simple math and its place in storytelling to influence alignment and decision making. It also plays the perennial bad-cop, after all… I’m not a b*tch, just the messenger. It’s not just useful at the office; simple math is also the secret ingredient to pulling off a juicy turkey and flawless thanksgiving dinner.
1 comment:
word!
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