Technical expertise is not enough to convince end-users to accept Big Data analysis, writes Jeff Kelly in his latest Wikibon Alert. Practitioners also need a story teller’s touch.

Decision-makers are used to basing their strategies on their experience and knowledge, Kelly maintains. Convincing antitrust data over intuition is a struggle to begin with, particularly when results run counter to their preconceptions. What’s more, they all know stories of statistical analyses that proved to be wrong.

So give them some skin in the game, and tell stories.

An effective tactic is to involve users up front in the design of the analysis, including deciding what data is important and what questions to ask, says Eugene Kolker, chief data officer of Seattle Children’s Hospital. That gives them emotional investment in the projects and outcomes.’

Story telling is also important. Kelly quotes Kolker as saying that showing a clinician how insights from data analysis can reduce patient readmissions by a significant amount makes the clinician more likely to embrace new methods based on analytics.

Kelly’s full Professional Alert is available without charge on the Wikibon Web site. IT professionals are invited to register for free membership in the Wikibon community. Registration allows them to influence the direction of Wikibon research, comment on published reports and post questions and alerts.

photo credit: ~Matt LightJam {Mattia Merlo} via photopin cc