How Analytics and Social Media Can Win an Election

one of the maximum exciting lectures i've ever attended turned into one EMC hosted a few years returned -- a communicate via the person who served as CIO in Obama's election and re-election campaigns. He walked us thru how the marketing campaign team of workers used technology to beat the pants off Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- all a ways greater skilled politicians.

the first  certainly couldn't spell "analytics" and placed up no credible technology defense. even as business professional Romney got that he needed a response, he done it so badly you needed to marvel how he become a hit in business.

Granted, a few argue that the quid seasoned quo for this with Obama became that Google basically owns him now. nonetheless, the reality is he showcased that hiring a ready analytics group (Romney forgot the "competent" element) can result in a huge gain.

What analytics and social networking provide is the combination of knowing what resonates and a low-price version for handing over the related message. In effect, as i've stated earlier than, social media gives a person who has herbal manipulation skills a big scale. Analytics is a force multiplier, as it identifies what citizens want to listen.

it is an apparent lesson, so why failed to Fiorina, who used to run HP, examine it?

Fiorina's Failure

one of the matters which you analyze in case you follow CEOs is that each one has self-created blind spots that permit others repeatedly stab them in the again. Fiorina's are an unwillingness to well known and study from a mistake, and an inability to construct loyalty with the oldsters most important to her.

There have been two key motives Fiorina failed at HP, according to insiders. One: She glaringly never understood the era, so the individuals who suggested to her took a lot of her orders as ill-suggested pointers, not directives. two: She wasn't loyal to her people, in order that they weren't unswerving to her. This is often a problem with executives who overuse layoffs as a monetary management device. It builds disrespect, disloyalty and outright hatred.

Fiorina in no way understood the strength of analytics, and the people who used to work for her who did understand a way to use this technology for the maximum part either hated her, concept she become incompetent, or each. in any case, they in no way could be an asset -- simplest a liability. Her tenure at HP is perceived as a failure, so it failed to even set a terrific basis for the argument that she would be a certified choice for president.

As a lady baby-kisser, she had a massive ability advantage over the folks going for walks against her for the nomination -- in particular against a girl candidate from the opposing birthday party -- however handiest if she became strong on ladies's problems.

instead, she picked as her pivotal issue planned Parenthood promoting toddler components, which changed into discredited.

planned Parenthood is a pro-ladies's rights company and through taking that position, Fiorina changed into at odds with tons of what might have been her center constituency. status up for girls's equality in the administrative center would were a much greater legitimate issue and one which became some distance extra deeply related to the girl demographic, with no real ability downside.

placed another manner, she made it smooth for women to select Clinton as the one who might first-rate constitute them. this is some thing a combination of analytics and simulation ought to have showcased without problems, but it appeared like Fiorina shot from the hip instead -- and shot herself inside the foot as a result.

Analytics vs. confirmation Bias

i am a strong believer that as a race, we're much more likely to be worn out because of a few screwy political or clinical choice than any natural disaster. (Our remaining word as a race easily can be a scientist saying "oops.")

on the heart of that is the concept of affirmation bias, or the difficult-wired behavior all of us have that inclines us to pay attention simplest to records that assist our pre-existing function.

international warming contrarians are an extraordinary instance, but there are folks that believe that the moon touchdown changed into a hoax, that the sector is surely flat, and that electric vehicles are greater inefficient than gasoline motors. (via the way, all are untrue.)

at the same time as you most customarily notice this whilst humans take political, spiritual or racist positions, the reality is we all have this trait to favor records that has the same opinion with what we already suppose. Analytics, completed right, gives a data-rich tool which could refute a silly and self-unfavorable position we've got taken. a number of us likely need this as a defense in opposition to deciding on dates unwisely (something very private to me, due to the fact my mother died as a result of a bad preference like this).

even though analytics can keep executives from doing silly things, many refuse to use it as it also may be used to showcase they are wrong -- and lots of, if not most, could as an alternative agree with they have been right than ever admit they were not.

observe that to scientists or politicians (the WMD Iraq conflict for instance) and also you see the potential for a race-ending "oops."

as an instance, a lot of the evaluation on whether the Hadron Collider might stop the world was finished after the attempt changed into funded and those were committed to its fulfillment. (Oh, and lots of it also become wrong.) That must make you sleep soundly this night.

Wrapping Up: The Lesson

The unspoken lesson is that it's far a ways higher to analyze from others' errors than make them yourself. Fiorina lost a number of her cash and numerous cash that changed into invested in her, each as HP's CEO and as a failed candidate in two elections, due to the fact she failed to research from her errors or from the successes of the sitting president.

in the end, she didn't show her firing from HP become incorrect -- she proved she likely shouldn't have been hired as CEO within the first vicinity.

perhaps this showcases a hard and fast of questions boards have to, but do not, ask prospective CEOs. Do you apprehend, and may you exhibit the right use of analytics to make decisions? are you able to point to a key institution of able folks who are each dependable and could comply with you into the new process? are you able to display you may analyze out of your errors and the mistakes of others? Do you recognize the industry and commercial enterprise you're being hired to paintings in and manage? Fiorina's performance suggests that forums don't ask the ones questions nearly enough.

by way of the manner, as a facet notice on affirmation bias and the information -- in case you want to peer how regularly information channels omit contradictory records, Cracked does a everyday collection on how frequently we leave out the story behind the story. one in all its latest disclosures is that at the same time as the ecu petition to ban Trump for calling for a ban on Syrian refugees has round 560K Signatures, the United Kingdom petition to do nearly the same exact factor has almost 430K signatures (it's miles No. five on the listing). Pot meet kettle.