Be directional - and use the right tools.

The most detailed map in the world will not be very helpful if the details don't tell you what you need to know. Consider kayaking through the broken group islands (gorgeous!) - if you grabbed an area map from the local gas station - you'd be in big trouble as you try to navigate between Dodd and Turtle islands - and all the rocks in the middle during a turning tide.   On the other hand if you had a navigational chart,  chances are you'd be safe in a kayak but get lost on the car ride home.

Consider the plethora of choices in choosing maps and charts. Knowing what you are going to do with data and information is half the battle - are you driving, hiking, boating, star gazing or drilling for oil?

In a recent survey of workshop participants hoping to increase their knowledge and skills around using data for community planning, a question was asked about HOW they typically used information. The responses described:

1. Making decisions about program priorities and project directions
2. Writing funding applications (justifying the "ask")
3. Seeing trends - how the context in which we work changes
4. Creating an advocacy arsenal in order to effect change with policy makers
5. Informing best practices
6. Celebrating success

Each use is different. Not every piece of information you unearth will be applicable for every purpose.

If information is causing you to be dazed and confused, do a double check. Check your sources. Is it enough?  Sometimes it is a matter of adding additional information to create the whole picture.  Is the information relevant? Other times, you need to be honest and not force a piece of data into a puzzle it doesn't belong in.

Be clear from the start - what are you hoping to do with what you learn?
And..at the risk of getting data obsessed, consider an evaluation process of your data exploration.  Learning from your experiences of what works and what doesn't as you gather, make sense of and apply information can be very useful learning!

Fire-Starters– Ask Well Crafted Questions!

There are different theories, considerations and approaches to how to light a fire; how much kindling, how to pile the wood, when to add certain sized wood, how many matches to use... the many factors all depend on the purpose of the fire. Is it a low burning campfire, a rip roaring bonfire, or a 100 year old birthday cake?

The purpose of the fire, determines the crafting.

The same could be said when crafting questions. Questions are a key component in working together inivitatives.

When crafting questions there are many things to consider including emotion, tone, expected outcome, participants, how open/closed they need to be, the number of questions and what type of questions are really needed.


Let's simplify that by taking a look at the three village raising steps from last weeks blog and consider them through questions.


1. Gathering Questions (exploring awareness)
What are we talking about?
What meaning does that hold for us? What does it mean for our work?
What are we learning? From whom do we want/need to hear?

2. Sorting/Decision Making Questions: (exploring priorities and choices)
Why does this matter?
What’s most important?
What do we value? How will this impact our outcome?

3. Getting to Action Questions: (exploring ideas, goals and strengths)
What are we going to do about it?
What might happen if we...? What’s possible?
What are the next steps?

Be intentional with inquires, in order to inspire the kind of thought you aim to.
Flame on Village Fire-starters!

Village Raising Question: What's one of your favourite Gathering, Decision Making or Action question?

Tackling Mountains of Data

Faced with a mountain of information, one can feel compelled to climb towards the top - seeking clarity of vision at higher elevations. Or, conversely, one can also feel overwhelmed in the shadow of knowledge and sink in a quagmire of muck at the base.

Author Judi Adler wrote;
"Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. They have no use for helicopters!"

One step at a time. Faced with volumes of information - whether it be statistics, research, evaluation reports or experience - figuring out the first step is often the trickiest.

This is the time to think simple.

Tips to keep it simple during the early forays into making sense of data is the visual presentation of the information.

1. Get to the point - don't hide the key pieces of information with EVERYTHING available!


2. Pick the right format - think about how numbers, columns, pie charts, colours, maps and pictures can make information easier to digest


3. Keep it simple (we said that already!). With complicated information, make the layout or presentation clean and free of extra frills and clutter.

Once the information is shared, take it apart! Deconstructing complex information doesn't "dummy it down," it allows people to get there heads wrapped around it bit by bit. Community change efforts have a lot of variables. Taking it all in at once runs the risk extreme and total confusion.

One visual and fun way to deconstruct and simplify is by separating all the information at hand on post-it notes or index cards. By breaking down the complexity into bite sized pieces, you can clump them in a variety of ways, sort, re-sort, theme and rearrange. By doing so, people engaged in the work can become active in their roles as meaning makers. They can see information along side other concepts that are important for context. They can make connections that weren't obvious to them (or anyone) when the information was kept in it's original package - whether it be a number, chart, map or story. They can also, visually, connect the single units of information and re-construct the information. This time, however, the familiarity with the information will avoid confusion.

Do your group a favour and help them learn and apply new information by sharing it with them in ways that supports their meaning making journey. Simply, take the first step together (and then another)!

Village Raising Question:

What's your first simple step towards understanding your data?

How do you support a groups meaning making journey?

Data Fog

. One of the passages from our book, more than any other, captures the feeling of collaborative inquiry.

Sleeves rolled up, furrowed brows, slumped shoulders, a heaviness in the air…Weighted down with an all-consuming sense of responsibility, everyone involved was focused, intense, and determined to wade through the fog and confusion…. The overwhelming task before them was to make sense of data, agree on key issues and make a plan.

Sound familiar? 

While we know that it is important to make plans and decisions based on good information, it can feel more like a journey through pea-soup fog. Finding a process to guide a group through the murky, complex world of data so that people emerge feeling informed and cohesive is the key.

Data helps us to give issues and opportunities colour and detail and depth. Data enables us to make new connections and informed decisions. In fact, true innovation emerges during this journey, even when what we don’t know still exceeds what we do. The journey demands risk taking, being open to getting it wrong, and a persistent inquisitive spirit.

Raising the Village will be focusing our blogs this month on getting through the data fog.

What are the essential elements of a group process that will lead to clarity (rather than spinning in circles, getting lost and disoriented)?

How can we avoid data becoming something to fear or defend against?

Can we actually have fun doing this too???

Then when we make it through… find clarity and meaning (having a good time along the way) – we stand on a precipice yet again.  This one is the gap between knowing and doing…but we’ll save that for a future set of blog posts.  :)

Take our challenge this month:

Think of an issue or opportunity that you are currently facing. Ask yourself:

What are some predictions you have about the situation?

What are some questions you need to ask?

What are some possibilities for learning that this situation presents?

What kind of data do you currently have access to that might shed some light on the topic?

Gather your answers and be ready to dive into the fog with us!