Data is only useful when it is correctly interpreted. A number by itself tells you nothing — context and comparison are everything. 'Customer satisfaction is 72%' — is that good or bad? It depends entirely on the benchmark: if last year it was 65% and the industry average is 68%, it is excellent. If it was 80% last year, it is a serious concern. When presenting data, always: state what it shows, explain what it means, and say what you recommend doing about it. Avoid the common mistake of confusing correlation with causation. Two things that change together do not necessarily cause each other. Good data analysis is honest about uncertainty and transparent about its limitations.

💡 Did you know? The phrase 'lies, damned lies, and statistics' is often attributed to Mark Twain, though he credited it to British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. It remains one of the most quoted observations about how numbers can mislead.