It sounds good in theory.
Rely on the numbers. Take the decision-making process out of the hands of humans and trust in years of data and math to arrive at the best conclusion.
This approach, however, flies in the face of what competitive sports are supposed to be about.
More to the point, it is also a short-sighted method of going about things.
As shared on X by Josh Chambers, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen spoke on what his team’s mentality is regarding analytics.
To him, “We leverage analysis…not to make the decision.”
There is an incredibly important distinction in this statement.
Many choose to blindly align themselves with whichever choice the numbers present as the best option.
Not coach Coen, though. Instead, he correctly believes that the data can be and should be used as a tool, but that they aren’t the ultimate, unquestioned deciders.
The aspect that is being analyzed here is the proper use, or otherwise, of analytics.
It becomes an issue when someone in leadership relies exclusively on the numbers.
This simply abdicates responsibility and makes ownership of any singular decision too difficult to place anywhere meaningful.
At the end of the day, someone needs to make a decision and be held responsible, regardless of the outcome, whether positive or negative.