As I draft a preliminary template for a mid-program recap report, my mind whirled with the sheer potential of possibilities. I know I will soon be digging into innumerable pages of data, asking myself, “Is this significant?” And if it IS significant, my goal is two-fold, to one, position it as an interesting finding and two, make actionable recommendations back to the client. When I tell others I’m in research and resoundingly see the “what?” face, I back up, smile, and say, “well, I’m really a story teller, and let me tell you why…”
My truth test when I’m writing reports, my true “stories” I suppose, is to ask myself if I read this, would I say “so what?” It’s a rare day here that we’re not all pulled into some informal discussion about various projects, asking ourselves, “so what?” or “well, have you looked at it from this angle…” et al.
With this specific project I am currently working on, there are five programs— each in itself a gem of unknowns, but when pitted against one another, that’s where the fun is, in the variation. In the details. We’re just near half way through the number of event activations, fifteen or so completed to-date, and I have more questions than answers, but I am confident they will come. All will be revealed soon. (Said in my best Yogi impersonation, of course.) Questions like: in this test group, why were females respondents favored? At event X, why did such an increased percentage report statement A as their key takeaway, and is this significant?
As I noted in the Methodology Brief of the report— a selection of these events were ear-marked for evaluation with primary patron research, and really from consumer packaged goods to top-shelf liquor and everything in between, this is my favorite phase— when it’s too soon to tell what will be. I’ll keep you posted on the big “ah-ha!” and “Eureka!” moment.
