Awhile ago I discussed the value created by writing by hand. By writing on whiteboards or scribbling in a notebook, ownership, learning, and understanding is created. Similarly, truly understanding numbers creates ownership, learning, and understanding—thereby creating the potential for action.

I’m not talking about statistics or the interpretation of statistics. We all know that different perspectives can be “created” from otherwise accurate data to tell any story. Just ask anyone in Washington, D.C.—from any side.

I’m talking about numbers that don’t accurately reflect underlying conditions, or numbers that don’t relate to the reality of the process owners.

As one example, here’s a recent photo from my local gas station on the central coast of California. As my brother in-law remarked while visiting from Michigan, “That’s not per gallon, right?” Yep, per gallon, typical for all gas stations around here, and yes, far more than most other parts of the country are paying.

 …