Data Driven vs Data Inspired [Part 1 of 5]

The Data Driven Trap

Your team is underperforming.

It might be because you're too focused on data.

That sounds crazy. We've been told data-driven decisions are better, smarter, and more scientific.

But watch what happens in most teams.

The sales lead sees leads drop. They review last quarter’s successful campaign and run it again.

The product owner sees traffic fall. They check what worked before and copy that strategy.

The team lead gets complaints and then uses the same fix from last time.

This is data-driven.

You see data. You copy what worked before.

It feels smart and looks rational.

But it's sophisticated copying.

Our people do this. We see numbers. We match them to past experience. We apply old solutions.

The breakthrough teams aren't doing this. They see the same data but think differently.

They're not copying solutions. They're asking different questions.

The most "data-driven" teams I know are stuck. They measure everything, optimize constantly, and get the same results.

What if being data-driven is making your team dumber?

What if there's a better way to think?

In Part 2: Why your team might be about performance theater.