In today’s world, executives and managers are often under time pressure and are snowed with information. Receiving concise and clear input which gets to the heart of the matter helps them navigate operations and focus on strategic topics.

Data visualisation is a communication tool and a way to provide the information needed to support and enable decision-making. When used well, it can speed up communication through faster data delivery, reducing the time and effort needed to digest content compared to memos and presentations. It is also a process that involves much more than just converting data into visuals. To use a real-life illustration, we can find similarities with healthy eating.

Choosing the Right Ingredients

In order for a meal to provide maximum benefits, it should be tailored to the needs of the person consuming the meal. Toddlers, teenagers, and adults all have different nutritional requirements. The food elements for each one should be chosen in a way that secures the right nutritional balance in line with their individual conditions.

This concept is also applicable in the business world. Heads of the supply chain, strategy, R&D, finance, HR, and IT need different information. When preparing reports/inputs for them, our primary focus should be on what the recipients need to know. Eliminating or reducing the noise from the non-essential nice-to-have details is a must. As in nutrition – too many side dishes and snacks can ruin the recipient’s appetite. If in doubt as to which information to focus on, talk to your manager, team, and, where possible, the people for whom you are preparing the overview.

Different, but the Same

Regardless of what the individuals should be eating, there are common traits regarding their food. Those common traits include the following:

• importance of quality and freshness of the ingredients
• protection of nutritional value, achieved through the adequate cooking process (not overcooked, and not served raw unless this is what the recipe specifies)
• adequate portion 
• the timing of serving

Similarly, regardless of the department you work in or the function you support, the information you provide should be up-to-date and reliable (freshness and quality), valuable (nutritional value), prepared in a way that is easy to understand (cooked properly), delivered in a timely fashion and with the right portion size.

Timing Matters

Keeping people hungry tends to make them nervous. It is no surprise that executives are uncomfortable with waiting for inputs until the last minute. To manage this challenge, you can provide the information in batches – serve bite-size sets while working on the main course. For example, at the beginning of the month, first, provide the update about the total volume sold, and then in the next iteration, provide more details or breakdowns as relevant (broken down by brand, territory, etc.).

Be open and agree on realistic deadlines, specifying which information will be available and by when. When decision-makers know the timeline for input and insight availability, they can plan activities and actions accordingly. Defining a feasible schedule is best achieved through dialogue, so transparency is welcomed from both parties. If you, as the supplier of information, understand the circumstances of the recipient (why certain input is required and by when), and the receiving side is aware of your struggles, expectations can be better managed. Discussion can help to find alternative ways to deliver what is essential.

Be Flexible

A good nutritionist considers not only the needs of the individual but also the real-life circumstances at stake and adapts the menu accordingly. The meal served will be affected by the available and achievable ingredients, how much time one has to prepare the meal, and when the person should actually eat.

That is why, when designing the reports, you should consider the following:

• available data and in which formats it exists
• how data/input can be obtained (does the team have relevant accesses, are there any incremental costs (license, subscription, training to use the software), are specific authorisations required)
• the time required to convert data into an adequate visual output.

Kitchen Aid

Technology can greatly assist throughout the process, from sourcing and compiling the information to converting it into suitable output and presenting it. Various software solutions integrate dashboards. Many allow the possibility of modifying. Here, it is relevant for the user to consider the following:

• The “self-service” concept

This is for the cases when the person prefers to tailor the output by themself, in line with their specific needs. Your key role is to ensure the availability of a flexible tool and valid information.

• The “set-menu” option

It is for the cases when the decision maker favours to rely on pre-defined structures. Your role is to define those set structures, also respecting the purpose for the user.

Grand Finale - Serving

The work and effort invested in defining the content and analysing the information are at risk of losing value if the output is not easy to understand. Would you rather eat from a messy or a neat plate? Do the layout and harmony among served elements matter? If the presentation looks appealing, it triggers the drive to dive in and enjoy the flavours, even if one is not necessarily a big fan of a particular vegetable…

As such, the visuals you use should:

• attract the reader
• be clear and simple to understand
• be easy to navigate (those which are interactive)

An information overload can be prevented by applying the “less is more” approach, focusing on covering the big picture first and including the most important elements. If choosing between simple and complicated visuals, always go for the simple ones. All components included in the output (e.g., colours, shades, patterns, fonts, font size) are part of your storytelling. Make sure that they are not misleading the reader.

Take the reader’s perspective – consider the scale to avoid confusion. If you need to zoom into a particular segment, make it easier for the reader by applying suitable aids (e.g., arrows, squares, circles).

Some companies use a standardised set of colours and fonts throughout the organisation, which is part of their visual identity. Suppose a similar practice exists in your organisation or with the client you are working for, but you would like to apply other options. In that case, it is better to check before diverting from the internally set standards.

If unsure which visuals to apply, you can look for inspiration in internal archives (past reports), publications, and the Internet. There are numerous layouts and templates available. Select and then test the option to identify the most suitable ones.

Delivery

Last but not least, pay attention to the format – is your output suited for the devices the audience uses? For example, sending a PDF instead of a PPT document will prevent the components on the slide from being misplaced when shown on the computer, tablet, or phone screen. Also, the more strategic the output is, the more you should strive to protect the content, limiting access to specific users.

Evolution/revolution

Just as it takes time to instil the right healthy habits, developing and applying data visualisation does not happen overnight. It often requires a change of mindset, getting comfortable with communicating using fewer words and numbers and more visuals.

To gain experience and confidence, you can start with the smaller topics. Keep in mind the objective – you are visualising the data to help others make decisions. At the same time, consider protecting yourself and your team – whenever possible, develop visuals that are easy to maintain.

Developing an output that is simple to use and understand will bring you several benefits – you will save time by removing the need to explain and re-do the reports while boosting your professional branding.

Consider that visualisation is a journey. Seasons and circumstances are forever changing, and so is your audience. Be ready to learn and adapt accordingly. Above all, enjoy exploring and creating. Happy cooking!

This article was first published on the think-cell blog.