Before we begin, I'm excited announce that I’m back on YouTube!

In case you didn't know, YouTube used to be my primary content platform (I've grown 3 channels over the past 6 years). I took a break for a few reasons:

• To focus on learning, experimenting and sharpening my writing skills
• I was struggling to turn my thoughts into concrete ideas
• I was looking for my unique angle

By combining my new writing techniques and video making experience, I'm confident that I can better serve you through my improved content.

Anyway, do check out my YouTube channel. You can also watch the video version of this newsletter here:

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Ever presented data that left your audience scratching their heads? I've been there.

“So what if 3000 posts were created by users per month? Is that good or bad?”.

After many awkward presentations, I had enough. I’ve been researching ways to make data and statistics more appealing.

That’s when I stumbled on a genius concept that I wished I knew earlier.

The human-scale principle

In the book 'Made to Stick,' authors Dan and Chip Heath reveal a secret to transforming dull statistics into captivating stories - they call it: “the human-scale principle”.

They believe that statistics aren’t inherently helpful; it’s the scale and context that make them so.

Here’s a few examples from the book on how to apply the human-scale principle:

1. Use an analogy

In his book the 8th Habit, Stephen Covey describes a poll of 23k employees drawn from a number of companies and industries on the subject of teamwork.

Here are the results:

• Only 37% said they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why.
• Only 1 in 5 were enthusiastic about their team’s and their organization’s goals.
• Only 1 in 5 said they had a clear “line of sight” between their tasks and their team’s organization’s goals.
• Only 15% felt that their organization fully enables them to execute key goals.

For some people, this sounds bad. But if you’re like me, I had nearly fallen asleep by the time the 3rd statistic was presented.

In fact, I couldn’t recall any of these statistics after reading them.

But then, Covery did a surprising reframe that blew my mind.

He took the same stats and superimposed an analogy related to football (I’m referring to soccer in case you’re American). This is how the reframe looks like:

• Only 4 of the 11 players on the field would know which goal is theirs
• Only 2 of the 11 would care
• Only 2 of the 11 would know what position they play and know exactly what their supposed to do
• And all but 2 players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent

Both these lists are based on the SAME set of numbers, but why is the 2nd list more interesting?

The football analogy generates a human context for the statistics. Our brains can’t help but imagine the players doing silly things like scoring the wrong goal posts. And how could players not understand their positions in the team?

The smaller scale of a football team is also easier to comprehend when compared to a corporation. The impact of each person is amplified when presented on a smaller scale.

It’s very clear that only the best sports team with the best teamwork can win. Covey’s point is that corporations should operate like teams, but unfortunately, they don’t.

Humanizing the statistics maximized the impact of his message.

2. Use a different measurement

Let’s look at how the human-scale principle can apply to a mundane but important topic: figuring out if a tech upgrade is worth it.

Cisco had to decide whether to add a wireless network for its employees.

The cost of maintaining this upgrade was estimated at $500 per year per employee, which is expensive when considering other benefits like dental or vision insurance.

Unless they reframe it as an investment, instead of a benefit. As long as the company can make at least $501 of value back from each employee every year, it’s worth it.

The tricky part is figuring out how to quantify and measure it.

That’s when one employee said: “If you believe you can increase an employee’s productivity by 1-2 minutes a day, you’ve paid back the cost of the wireless”.

On this scale, it’s easier for our brains to assess. We can easily simulate scenarios where an employee can save a few minutes from wireless access:

• Sending a request for a forgotten document during a critical meeting
• Attending meetings remotely while on a business trip
• Providing asynchronous updates anytime, anywhere

Getting executive approval is much easier with these time-saving examples compared to presenting the $501 return on investment.

3. Subvert expectations

Let me ask you: Which animal is more likely to kill you?

• A shark
• A deer

What if I told you that the deer is more likely to kill you? In fact, it’s 300 times more likely to kill you via a collision with your car!

This statistic was published by the Florida Museum of Natural History and is effective because it’s unexpected. It’s just absurd to think that Bambi is more dangerous than Jaws and humour is a nice antidote to the fear generated by shark-attack stories.

The juxtaposition between the deer and the shark also taps into the audience's beliefs.

People know how much fear they have of deers when they’re driving – ZERO. We don’t cancel our evening plans because of deers lurking on the roadside.

So if we don’t fear deers despite them being 300 times more deadly, why should we fear sharks?

This is an example of relating numbers to people’s misconceptions.

4. Visualize the size

Art Silverman had the difficult task of spreading an important health message to the public.

He was working for The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit group that educates the public about nutrition.

Their research lab had found that a bag of popcorn contained 37 grams of saturated fat which far exceeds the recommended daily intake of 20 grams set by The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Turns out the culprit was the coconut oil used in making the popcorn.

But so what? Is 37 grams of fat bad? If so, how bad is it?

Art Silverman and CSPI put those 37 grams of fat into context.

They laid out the full buffet of greasy food for the television cameras. An entire day’s worth of unhealthy eating, displayed on a table. All that saturated fat—stuffed into a single bag of popcorn.

The story caught the attention of CBS, NBC, ABC, and CNN.

Even Leno and Letterman cracked jokes about fat-soaked popcorn, and headline writers trotted out some doozies:

• “Popcorn Gets an ‘R’ Rating,”
• “Lights, Action, Cholesterol!”
• “Theatre Popcorn is Double Feature of Fat.”

Guess what? Soon after that, most movie chains announced they would stop using coconut oil.

Conclusion

As you can see, throwing a list of numbers and percentages might make you look smart, but your audience might feel lost. Data and statistics are powerful, but only if your audience can understand them in a relatable way.

BTW, if you want to arm yourself with storytelling techniques, I’m building a workshop on how to craft powerful presentations that are easy to follow while deeply resonating with your audience.

Your brilliant ideas will be heard, and your influence will grow.

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See you 😁