From Data to Decisions: Embracing Imperfection for Better Outcomes

Consultants often find themselves overly focused on achieving perfect numbers, but this Luminaries episode emphasizes the importance of accepting good enough data to make informed decisions.

Ian, Mike, and special guest Anne Fraser discuss the challenges junior consultants face when dealing with ambiguity and imperfect information, highlighting that aiming for perfection can hinder progress. Ann shares her journey from a data-driven consultant to a trainer, helping others embrace the reality that evidence and information extend beyond just numbers. The conversation also touches on how to handle mistakes when they arise, emphasizing accountability and transparency to maintain client trust. Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to adopt a mindset that values practical decision-making over unattainable perfection, reminding us that even in consulting, good enough can often lead to better outcomes. Remember - GEMO!

Takeaways:

Consultants often focus too much on achieving perfect numbers rather than using good enough data to help clients make decisions. Understanding that mistakes are inevitable in consulting is crucial, and it's how we handle them that truly matters. Junior consultants need to become comfortable with ambiguity, as perfect data is often unattainable in real-world scenarios. The concept of 'good enough' is essential in consulting; striving for perfection can hinder timely decision-making. Effective consultants employ sanity checks on incoming data to identify potential errors early in the analysis process. It's vital for consultants to provide clients with honest feedback based on evidence, even if it contradicts what the client wants to hear.

Consulting for Humans is all about the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of a life in consulting. Each week, Ian and Mike shine a light on a new topic, bringing insights from decades of experience in consulting to business clients. We'll be examining the ideas, old and new, that underpin what makes consultants happy and successful.

We think the job gets easier, the more human you are! So it’s our mission to add just a little more humanity to the lives of consultants, and to bring some of the skills and perspectives of consulting to human lives, too.

If you’re a consultant who’s trying to be human, or a human who’s trying to be a consultant, we think you’re our kind of person!

Contact the show at [email protected], and follow us on Instagram at @learn.consulting

Consulting for Humans is brought to you by P31 Consulting.

• No. of episodes: 33
• Latest episode: 2025-07-01
• Business Careers Entrepreneurship

Where can you listen?