The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance, Second Edition

Supporting Change with Data

To make effective changes we have to be observant. Observation is an important source of learning while trying to improve. There are, however, some weaknesses associated with relying on observation alone:

• Our mind filters observations. We often observe only what we want to or expect to observe. We may not notice certain actions of friends but will notice those actions in strangers.

• Our present observations are affected by our past observations, especially those in the immediate past. A temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit will feel warm if the previous week’s temperatures were in the twenties, and quite cold if the previous temperatures were in the eighties or nineties.

We would have a difficult time agreeing ...