My boss in Phoenix told me my reports were 'just data, no story'

He said it after our third quarterly review, and I mean, it stung at first. I spent like two weeks trying to figure out how to add a simple 'why' before every chart. Now I start each one with a single sentence about what we're trying to see, and it changed the whole meeting. Has anyone else had to totally redo how they present basic info?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.faith4d ago

Totally redo how they present basic info" seems like a lot. It's just a report. Adding a sentence before a chart is a small fix, not a total redo. Some bosses just like to hear themselves talk. My old boss in Phoenix would say stuff like that to feel important. As long as the numbers are right, the story is usually pretty obvious.

seth_shah4d ago

Ugh, that boss sounds familiar.

phoenixw114d ago

Yeah, the "story is usually pretty obvious" part is so true. Reminds me of a client who asked for a full branding overhaul because he didn't like the blue in our logo. Spent weeks on it, and he picked the first option, which was just a darker shade of the original blue.