A rather unhelpful phrase
It implies that you are pointing out the obvious
But sometimes the obvious is really worth pointing out
Sometimes the obvious is only obvious once it has been pointed out
Here is an example for you…
The graph shows the number of Google searches for the term “bread”
A dip in the summer
Two spikes in November and Christmas
Why would anybody get excited about bread in November?
Halloween? No, that’s October
Bonfire Night? Guy Fawkes wasn’t known for his bread making ability
November… Bread… English… Google… Americans…
Thanksgiving!
When else would you Google bread?
Obvious really
Unless you are an English boy who doesn’t know one end of a turkey from another
Things are only obvious with hindsight if you use hindsight
And the easiest way to use hindsight is to draw a graph of the things that are important to you
Hindsight, are you using it?
Listen to another opinion
Image by bcmom
Hello James
Great point, I came across exactly the same situation on a recent consulting assignment. The data was there and yet the obvious (embedded in the data) only became obvious when pointed out.
That is also why I say that data is useless – it is only when a human being takes data interprets it and tells a enticing story that gets the attention of the right people that you get action. And action is the only thing that affects performance.
Maz