Mr. Silver is known for his sports analyses and predictions for presidential elections, both of which are remarkably accurate. Here three issues healthcare professionals may encounter in their efforts to become more data-driven, along with Mr. Silver’s advice.
How average professionals or executives can reach a level of “statistical literacy” and educate themselves
“I think the best training is almost always going to be hands-on training,” said Mr. Silver. He said his experience is all about working with baseball data, or learning game theory to get better at poker. He said “getting your hands dirty with the data set” is far better than spending too much time reading about statistics.
Whether “stat heads” should have their own department or be integrated throughout a company
Mr. Silver said organizations should integrate statisticians as much as possible. “That means that they’re going to have some business skills, too, right? And learn that presenting their work is important. But you need it to be integrated into the fabric of the organization,” he said.
Dealing with people who don’t accept data
Mr. Silver referred to a quote from Albert Einstein, who once said he did not trust any physics theory that couldn’t be explained to a 10-year-old. “A lot of times, the intuitions behind things aren’t really all that complicated,” he said.
“Now, if you feel like you’re expressing yourself and getting the gist of something and you’re still not being listened to, then maybe it’s time to change careers,” Mr. Silver wrote. He said people who have analytic talent are very much in demand right now across many fields, allowing them to be “picky to an extent.” Internal debate can be healthy, but if leaders feel like they aren’t being listened to, it may be time to move on.
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