Data Vs Imagination

Here’s something I’ve been reflecting on lately.

In recent years, I’ve seen leaders put increasing focus on collecting data about their audience.

Data can mean many things: direct information-gathering such as polls and surveys; collecting facts related to demographics and psychographics; observing habits such as email opens, clicks, and purchases; and more formal customer research involving professionals. (I myself am schooled in the Jobs to Be Done approach, which many of my clients find quite powerful.)

The term “data” implies cold, hard facts. Objectivity. But of course, data analysis is open to interpretation — especially when human behaviour is concerned.

Data can be very useful; it can help you communicate more effectively with your audience, and make smarter (or at least more informed) business decisions.

However, I’ve also seen leaders become so obsessed with data that they forget an essential part of the equation: empathy.

Empathy isn’t an exact science. But it is a useful skill; one that can be practiced.

Empathy requires you to turn down the volume on your own experience, your ego, the voice in your head going “me, me, me”, so you can tune into what your audience might want and need from you.

Empathy requires imagination.

Does that feel too soft and squishy to you? Why should we make critical business decisions based on something as childlike and unmeasurable as imagination?

But imagination is essential for communications that resonate.

To be empathetic, you must imagine how someone who is NOT YOU might be feeling. How would they react? What would they need? What is it like to be them?

True empathy requires more than a nod to these questions, but ongoing, thoughtful consideration. It means relentlessly thinking about — and imagining — your audience.

Data can help put the picture together, sure. It’s just not the full picture. You have to do the work of connecting the dots and filling in the gaps — and just maybe, relying on that human quality of *heart*.

So sure, measure the heck out of things, do your research. But then, put it down and use your imagination.

You won’t always be right. But if you keep empathizing, keep paying attention, keep writing with imagination and heart, you will connect more deeply than you ever, er, imagined. :)

With heart (and imagination ☁️),

Camille