Nothing hides the core of an issue better than data.
Nothing helps identify the core of an issue better than data.
This was the problem we were faced with.
Every metric showed us we had a problem. But we had no idea which single measure needed a stage spotlight cast upon it.
Work in progress measures are worse than a party of children begging to go first at pass the parcel.
The chorus becomes noise where nothing is clear.
This chorus screamed that our service was underperforming.
My boss asked the easy question: What is the core of the issue?
Staring at the dashboard of horrors, all I could offer was a pathetic ‘I don’t know.’
As we scratched our heads, a new question surfaced:
That’s the thing with a problem, or a decision.
There is always a story at work.
What we needed to do was see our work in progress through the eyes of our customers and our service providers.
This question shifted our perspective.
Instead of just seeing a screen of pie charts and numbers all in red, we started to map them to fit the customer journey.
We re-visualised the data into meaningful measures.
And then the core of the problem stood out like brake lights on a dark night.
When time is tight and data feels overwhelming, try this:
Map each measure to a step in your customer’s journey. Ask yourself, which of these has the greatest impact on the experience?
That’s usually the core.
Take a moment this week to pick one recurring problem, lay out all your data, and ask, “What’s really going on here?”
Then share your findings with your team—you might be surprised what becomes clear.
When we focused on the core issue, our customer satisfaction improved—and our service teams gained the clarity they needed to act with confidence.
Have you ever found the real issue after shifting perspective?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your story.
Because a story always reveals the truth.
