Why All the Pushback?

Imagine presenting reports or dashboards to stakeholders only to have them say, "That chart can’t be right," or, "That doesn’t match finance’s numbers," or, "Why did we count it that way?".

What feelings are conjured up when you read those sentiments?

Some of the most challenging moments in my data career happened when I was met with resistance after spending days or even weeks building a presentation. My confidence was thrown for a loop, I questioned everything, and I even had thoughts that data might not be the right career for me.

But should I have felt that way?

At the beginning, probably. There were still valuable lessons to learn. But…

Key Takeaway - Having the data challenged is something that you WANT to happen.

Yes, sometimes you’ll have to double check a few things following a presentation, but even this outcome gives you an opportunity to build long term credibility and trust. As long as you follow up with the findings and reassure them that future checks and balances will happen, they will believe in your methodology and focus on the insights and resulting strategy that should be executed.

After a while it becomes an expected interaction that can be used to your advantage:

• Present finding (even better if it’s controversial)
• Get questioned
• Have response ready with proof available to be read offline (sometimes kept in the appendix)

Presenting the 'punchline' first gets their attention, questioning creates engagement, and your response solidifies credibility.

Here’s another win. Questioning your findings means stakeholders already see value in the data, which is often half the battle. It might take some time and experience, but, with the right mindset, you’ll change what you hear from, "Let’s circle back when the numbers are solid," to, "That insight is not what I expected. Let’s pivot."