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Most large public companies reporting their third quarter business results have held conference calls with security analysts who "cover" their industry. In the spirit of maximum disclosure, or transparency, these companies provide transcripts of the call, including management's discussion of their performance and questions and answers. I read many of these transcripts to see how leaders are communicating (or not communicating).
One of these transcripts distinguished itself because of the level of non-communication. After reporting a terrible quarter, this company, whose name you would recognize instantly, said, "We are optimistic about fourth quarter results." And what struck me throughout the transcript was the use of qualitative descriptors of the business. The analysts requested greater specificity, especially in quantitative terms. They didn't get it.
I also facilitated a management seminar recently and asked the participants to identify performance standards for areas of their positions where they need to get results. I was disappointed when most of the performance standards –involving budgeting, customer satisfaction, and similar metrics- were mostly qualitative.
What is it about the use of numbers that frightens or intimidates us? Do most people have difficulty being held accountable? Or is the problem ignorance- not knowing how to quantify inputs, outputs and other activities?
Engineers are quantitative by the nature of your profession. Ohms, square feet, megabits, and other metrics and measures are commonplace. Isn't construction engineering, for example, all geometry? It's not a strip mall; it's a trapezoid, or triangle that forms the parameters of a commercial project.
Still, engineers and other professionals could improve how they communicate numbers. The classic example is the "eye chart" in a PowerPoint presentation: The audience is assaulted with lines and lines of numbers that look like code. The "six by six" rule can help: limit every slide to six words or one bulletized number per line and to a maximum of six lines/bullets. Charts, bar graphs also help but aren't always the answer.
People who listen to your presentation may not be as technically proficient as you. They may wield decision-making or influencing power. Help them understand the numbers you are communicating. They're more likely to say, "yes" when they understand you.
How do you communicate numbers? What works for you, what doesn't?
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