Data without Context is just that Data. The context of anything happening is what makes the data relevant. When you have context you have an understanding of your data, you know where it came from, where it originated from, and maybe where it’s going. Without context, all you have is data and that’s a dangerous thing to make decisions on.
There are going to be days when you are completely outmatched. The work you’re up against is that much better than what you are creating. The team you are competing against has been to the rodeo before and knows all the tricks. That’s okay, the fact that you’re here, in this moment attempting to level up, that’s what matters and is more important than anything.
Feedback is great, but should never be relied upon without context in place. The context is what was going on surrounding that particular item. It’s the work that was going on at that point in time. It’s the goals that were trying to be achieved but might not have worked. Feedback is incredibly useful, but only if everything surrounding the feedback is understood.
Now – you need to work on this, this is what you need to get done to move forward and be successful. Later – is what you need to do in the long-term, the big idea, the thing that is going to continue making you successful. The Later can’t be done Now because it’s too big, and the Now can’t be done Later it’s a gap filler and not a strategy. One gets you over…
Getting it right requires measuring twice and cutting once. It’s about making mistakes and going back to try again to be better. It’s about the bugs coming in and the updates going out. Not everyone wants to get it right because it means realizing you have work to do and that work never end. But many people do, and those are the people you want on your team.