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As Numbers Continue to Slide,
Many Companies are Finding Comfort
in Data Hoarding.
“Listen, if there’s one thing we can never get enough
of, it’s data,” mentioned Erin Hagens, an employee of
the North Carolina-based Fabrikam. “As far as I can
see, everybody’s fallen in love with the new system.”
In this day and age, more CEOs than ever are saying
“bring on the numbers,” because, according to a
recent survey, numbers suggest business activity
around the office. “It doesn’t really matter what the
numbers say, just having them means we’re doing a
good job. Sometimes. Other times it means we’re
doing a bad job. You really never know.”
Indeed, according to Fabrikam’s employees the
meaning of the numbers isn’t the point at all.
Which is precisely the point. It has, in fact,
become one of the hottest trends in business
today. “You pile up numbers, and drop them into
conversations in a confusing way, and it’s really
hard to screw things up at this place. Think
microsoft.com/peopleready
of it as a bulletproof vest. Except instead of a
vest, it’s numbers.”
Findings in business science suggest that this might
be the best approach for companies to maintain the
status quo, at least for a little while. When people are
exposed to huge numbers, the brain tends to recoil,
which can quickly turn interest into confusion and/or
boredom. In many instances, excess data can cause
lapses in judgment, cognitive impairment, and slow
reaction time. As to whether or not this can be
harmful to the business? “We’re looking into it, but
there’s really no way to know,” mentioned Hagens.
And so far, employees say, it’s working. “Hey, my
job is pretty cushy, and I’m hoping things stay that
way. I just spent eighty thousand dollars on
a boat.”
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