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One of the most critical skills in data work – and one of the most challenging ones – is honoring the perspective
of others without interpreting it through our own lens.
The other evening I attended a talk, How to Talk to a Human, by Jad Abumrad. Jad is the creator of Radiolab and the short series podcast Dolly Parton’s America. The focus of his talk wrapped together concepts from multiple conversations he’s had with many people in “talk” professions - therapists, interviewers, social scientists, lawyers, and conflict mediators. In other words, people who talk and try to understand for a living.
I can’t do justice to this talk, but I want to share a key point that stuck with me about honoring
the perspectives of others. In his talk, Jad shared a quote pulled from one of his many interviews with Dolly Parton, “he didn’t know how many dreams I had.” This was Dolly’s response to Jad when he was trying to get her to talk about the unbalanced power dynamic in her relationship with Porter Wagoner. Dolly wouldn’t go there. She wouldn’t let Jad re-create her story through his perspective.
When she talked about Porter, she noted that there were more complexities in their relationship that couldn’t be oversimplified in the way Jad was trying to categorize it. She spoke about how Porter couldn’t have known everything she planned to be and her experience because they were hers, and she didn’t fault Porter for not liking it either once it began to overshadow his own success.
What’s astounding to me is she didn’t fault Porter for his dislike of her success, and she didn’t let him take her dream. She recognized his truth while
keeping hers and holding the space in between.
In our work, we talk about how important it is for nonprofits to gain insights from those they serve. Sometimes we’re asked why, and it's because we can’t know the dreams someone has, the desires, or the needs . . . until we ask. And even with asking, we must validate to make sure we understand without interpreting through our own lens. It’s tough stuff, but important for all of us to be on the journey of creating more impactful conversations, or as Jad would put it, ‘how to talk to a human.’
Check out some snippets of Jad’s much more expansive thinking below*, and then go talk to a human.
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READING
- The empathetic newsroom – The first step in covering stories in communities is understanding the perspectives of the people in that community and letting them tell their own stories. While this article focuses on Journalism, there are many parallels that can
be applied to research and data work in the social sector.
- Impact Collective’s Accelerate Speaker Series:
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Q&A Session with ResultsLab - learn more about ResutlsLab Impact Collective, and get the chance to connect with our team, learn about the different growth opportunities, and ask your burning questions on May 03 at 1pm (MT). No cost to attend.
- 2023 Impact Accelerator Waitlist is Open! Impact Accelerator is a 7-12 month program for nonprofits who want to build a solid foundation for their organization’s data practices, and equip their team with the skills, tools and processes to carry it forward. Learn more and join the waitlist.
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LET'S CONNECT
If you would like to contribute to content or would like us to include your resources in the future, please reach out to info@resultslab.com and we will connect with you!
For more resources and updates, follow ResultsLab on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
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ResultsLab is a woman-owned social enterprise that propels organizations, communities, and networks to the next level of impact through quality design and effective use of data. We are reinventing
impact management by providing strategic design and capacity building for data informed decision-making to organizations and networks that exist to drive change for our communities.
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