Statistics with a Spin
We’re bombarded daily with numbers as to whether the economy is improving or still declining—new home sales, jobs lost per month, first-time claims by those applying for unemployment benefits, manufactured goods produced/sold.
As the different politicians and reporters try to tell us what the numbers mean, I can’t help but recall this classic story that we tell in our presentation training workshop: During the Cold War, there was a two-person race between an American and a Russian. The American came in first and the Russian second. The American newspapers reported that a major race had taken place and the Americans won—with the Russians coming in dead last. The Russians reported that there was a major race and the Russians came in second—with the Americans coming in next-to-last.
The point is clear: Both the Russian and the American reporters wanted their constituents to feel good about how their teams performed.
Presenters do the same. They select their statistics and their facts to spin their stories and achieve their goals. Spin happens with facts or statistics or relationships or rituals. Politicians, pollsters, pediatricians, and programmers spin and hear spin.
So what? Listen discriminately so you’re not “spun” out of control and off target.
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