People say that the world has changed, but I think it'd be more accurate to say that people that have changed the world.

Social media, big data, big analytics, internet of things … whether you're an executive, a data scientist, or a student, when you hear these buzzwords, you have an emotional response. That emotional response shapes your approach to analytics and how you see this new world we're in.

Why people are more important than data

At its core, all data is noise, You must extract the important data from the noise, but that’s still not enough. Data provides no direct value until it’s been organized, structured, processed and interpreted. Only then can it evolve into information and then knowledge.

Data is just one step in a process that transforms noise to knowledge.

Data is important. But it may be even more important to focus on the link between information and knowledge. No matter how sophisticated a program or software may be, or how great its data visualizations may look, no computer can ever provide knowledge.

Why? Because knowledge is a reaction from the brain to information. And this reaction is unique because each brain, each individual, has their own methods of reasoning, their own intuitions and emotions.

Technology provides hints, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, and with varying degrees of accuracy, but in the end they really are just hints. It’s people who make the decisions.

And analytics provides the link between information and knowledge for decision makers. Analytics provide the power to know, power that gives us the ability to anticipate opportunities, and then act on them, ensuring every action leads to tangible results.

Time to assess yourself. What’s your emotional quadrant when facing analytics?

Within each quadrant, there are several emotions, but they can be summarized:

 A: That’s anger. Maybe fear or even stress. You're definitely not in your comfort zone here, maybe because you don’t have the right skills. But here’s the good news – you can improve your skills by using one of these options!

• Learn how to start with approachable analytics
• Read the white paper Redefine your analytics journey
• Check out the Citizen Data Scientist Program

 J: Joy! So you like #analytics? Then you’ll enjoy this video.

S: Why so sad? Does this analytics thing bore you? Have a look at analytics in action … Still bored?

R: Relaxed and calm; you’re driving the change.

What emotions do you experience when approaching analytics? I hope you’ll share your experience in the comments section below.