Data wellness – relaxation through data?

Data wellness – relaxation through data?

Author: Thomas Mickeleit

‍The Excellence Forum #54, which took place at Henkel in Düsseldorf at the end of November and is considered the ‘elite circle’ among CommTech enthusiasts, had given itself the heading ‘Data Wellness’. A title that initially triggers question marks. Doesn’t data tend to create stress because it may demand quick reactions or mercilessly reveal weaknesses? In a panel with communications experts from Henkel, Siemens and Trumpf, the issue was discussed in depth, with an optimistic conclusion.

Yes, it’s true, data can create stressful moments. But they can also help to stay the course and prevent actionism, in short, to say ‘no’. The art of communicating strategically lies in reduction. Resources, which are always in short supply, may only be used for strategically relevant topics, which is easier said than done in day-to-day business. It is often difficult to fend off demands from internal stakeholders who, for example, proudly want to see a 23rd ‘strategic partnership’ with supplier XY used in a big way.

This is where data can help. Our stakeholders are used to being guided by data points from their Excel spreadsheets – often in a different way than we have been in communications so far. Data showing, for example, that press releases on supposed strategic partnerships have no chance of being published is just as useful as access data for such releases on the press website. Integrating these into target group-specific reports and making data-based arguments is better than a ‘no, we don’t do that’ that sounds like a refusal to work. One voice on the XF panel drew his personal data wellness from the tactic of giving the stubborn stakeholder the benefit of the doubt that communication doesn’t work that way. This can also be a way for educational reasons, as long as it does not become a standard. How do you create your personal data wellness?