In this month's edition, you will find:
🧠1 Tip for Data & Analytics: how to deliver bad news with data—and avoid being blamed.
🎙️2 MindSpeaking Podcast episodes on Data Storytelling for introverts and how to build trust with stakeholders.
🤔1 Quote about an Olympic athlete with big goals—and my personal reflection.
🧠 1 tip for Data & Analytics
Data Professionals: Avoid the Persian Messenger Syndrome
Delivering bad news is tough. But avoiding it can be even worse.
In the Ancient Persian Empire, messengers who brought bad news were often killed. Many fled instead of delivering the truth, resulting in critical information never reaching the leaders. This contributed to the downfall of the empire.
That’s called Persian Messenger Syndrome, and it still exists today—especially in corporate settings.
I’m sure you’ve been there.
You’ve crunched the numbers, and the data isn’t what stakeholders want to hear.
As the messenger, you’re just doing your job—but that doesn’t stop the pushback, frustration, or even blame.
It’s tough when you’re delivering facts but feel like you’re being attacked.
So, how do you handle that pushback? Better yet—how do you prevent it?
Here’s how to deliver bad news effectively with the C.A.R.E. Framework:
🔍 Clarify the situation:
Be honest and direct.
“Our data shows a different trend than expected.”
😔 Acknowledge emotions:
Show empathy for their expectations.
“I understand this isn’t what you hoped for.”
📊 Rationalize with context:
Explain why the numbers look this way.
“Here’s what caused these results…”
💡 Engage with solutions:
Offer actionable steps forward.
“To address this, here’s what we could do…”
As a data professional, your role is to present the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Avoiding tough conversations doesn’t help anyone. Charlie Munger said it best:
“Always tell us the bad news promptly. It is only the good news that can wait.”
But keep in mind...
There’s a way to deliver bad news with empathy—by showing that you understand their situation and by offering solutions. That’s how you build trust with stakeholders.
🎙️ 2 MindSpeaking Podcast episodes
Gulrez Khan, PayPal’s Data Science Lead and author of Drawing Data with Kids, brings a fresh take on data storytelling. He shares excellent tips on Data storytelling as an introvert. He also talks about making data engaging—for business stakeholders and even kids! This is useful for me, too, as we have our first baby on the way.
Anders Liu Lindberg is the co-founder of the Business Partnering Institute and has 225k followers on LinkedIn. He shares his formula for turning data insights into business impact. Plus: tips for presenting—speaking for a big audience vs. 1-on-1. Discover how to build stakeholder trust, improve communication, and influence decisions.
🤔 1 Quote to reflect on
Sifan Hassan, a Dutch runner, went to the Paris Olympics with a huge goal: to become the first athlete since Emil Zátopek in 1952 to medal in the 5k, 10k, and marathon—at the same Olympics.
The day before her last race, she posted this powerful quote from Muhammad Ali:
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.”
The next day, she won gold in the marathon.
My reflection:
For years, I held myself back. I was improving, yes—but my goals weren’t big enough.
Deep down, I wanted to make a big impact in the short time we have on this earth. But by playing small, I kept myself small.
Now that I’ve set more ambitious targets, I’m astonished by what we can achieve.
Whatever your goals are...
Get promoted to Senior Data Scientist
Do a presentation in front of 100 people
Write a book
Become an entrepreneur
Find a new life partner
…I hope you find some inspiration in Sifan Hassan’s story.
Dare to dream big.
Gilbert
Ps. I'm proud of the impact our Data Storytelling training has made at companies like Adidas, Aldi, and Rabobank. See the transformations below 🎉
We're fully booked in the Netherlands in the coming months, but we still have some spots available in the USA, Canada, UK, and Germany. If you want to increase your Data team's impact, click here.
Commenti