Data Tells a Story in Pictures
By Kyla Nicholson, CHRP Candidate
We have all experienced information overload. In fact, a quick Google search can often put us in precisely that situation.
At the L2 Innovation Forum 2010 David McCandless, a recognized leader in info-graphics, did a short presentation titled Information is Beautiful.
According to McCandless, the solution to information overload is:
1. to visualize information so that we see the patterns and connections that matter, and
2. design that information so that it makes more sense, directs focus or tells a story.
(http://fora.tv/2010/11/05/David_McCandless_Information_Is_Beautiful)
It’s different to be presented with an overwhelming amount of various pieces of information, or to be told the results of someone else’s analysis of the various pieces of information, than to look at a concise visual and form your own opinion. People are becoming more design oriented. We want information condensed, designed and presented in a way that we can consider and digest for ourselves.
What does this mean for HR? Consider the valuable business data held by HR. Consider how a visual could make it easier to find patterns in the data, stimulate important questions and conversations or tell a story.
For example, plotting monthly voluntary turnover over a number of years on a single graph, may lead Company X to ask, “What happens annually in February and June that leads voluntary turnover to nearly double?” and to take action based on the conclusions drawn.
Or maybe it is something more complex that you need to depict, like the number of leaders exiting the organization in the next 5 years versus the number of internal and external succession candidates. How could that look? What graphs or images would best showcase the information and tell that story?
What data do you need to communicate and how will you present it?
If you’re interested in other presentations from the L2 conference, visit: FORA TV at http://fora.tv/
Kyla Nicholson, CHRP Candidate, is the Manager of Professional Development at BC HRMA. Kyla is committed to providing high-quality learning opportunities that build the capabilities and the organizational impact of HR practitioners. She also sits on the editorial committee and writes for PeopleTalk Magazine.
