Importance of Analyzing Correct Data, and Critical Thinking with Dr. Annette Shtivelband

In this digital age where information is widespread, data is more accessible whether in news, reports and research. In our everyday life, decisions we make are always based on information and data we had at that moment. It is an integral part in a rational sense to make sure that information is accurate and values the truth. In this week’s episode, Dr. Annette Shtivelband sits with us as she walks us through the phases to make data-driven decisions. She is the founder and principal consultant with an organization called Research Evaluation Consulting and an experienced researcher in her field. Her area of specialization includes research methods, data collection, survey development and validation, and various statistical analysis techniques. Whether you seek insights on how data and knowledge makes improvements in education, entrepreneurship and life, this podcast is for you. --- Listen to the podcast here: Importance of Analyzing Correct Data, and Critical Thinking with Dr. Annette Shtivelband Welcome to Action’s Antidotes, your antidote to the mindset that keeps you settling for less. One thing that’s become more and more prevalent in our lives in recent years is data and analytics. A lot of organizations are making the push to become more data driven and I personally have a historic career path in data and analytics and also helping organizations achieve this data-driven state. But, of course, there is the proper balance in how we use our data and what kind of role it is to have in our lives. My guest today, Annette Shtivelband, is the founder and principal consultant with an organization called Research Evaluation and Consulting. --- Annette, welcome to the program. Thank you, Stephen, and it’s Research Evaluation Consulting. Oh, did I accidentally put the and in there? Yeah, we can start over. And it’s Dr. Annette Shtivelband because I worked really hard for that credential. Dr. Annette Shtivelband. Now, Dr. Annette Shtivelband, your PhD, tell me a little bit about that story because sometimes people see education and entrepreneurship as somewhat different paths so definitely a unique perspective from your end there. Absolutely. So I think, for me, I have always wanted to be the type of person who could use knowledge to make improvements and make changes. I think a part of me felt that getting the doctorate would help position me well to have the knowledge and the expertise and the technical skills, but I do not think that the PhD program itself helped me be prepared for the entrepreneurial journey. And I didn’t really expect it to, to be honest with you. I think a lot of it is going to be trial and error, but I think that it helped build my confidence and, also, I think that, as I interact with clients, having a doctor before your name is really handy. A lot of people talk about the manner in which you present yourself and although there’s a lot of people that wish that that was not really a thing, it really is. The first impression, whether it be the name, whether it be the signature on your email, whether it be the shirt you’re wearing, or anything else does seem to make an impact and so you having that doctor next to your name, how do you think that that has impacted the way clients or potential clients see you in your business? Absolutely. So on a personal level, I’ve always looked relatively young. It’s kind of comical, it’s flattering, it’s annoying. As I’ve gotten older, I like that I look younger, but, for the longest time, I think earlier in my life, people may not have taken me as seriously. When you enter a room or you have a meeting with the client and you speak well, you’re able to answer questions, you’re able to show your knowledge but you also have that credential, I do find that people take you seriously. I’ve even had situations before as a business owner where we might submit a request for proposal or RFP, I get feedback that they love what we put there but I actually had an instance where a board member thought I looked too young, they mentioned that. There’s definitely consequences, I think, in our society if you’re a young female business owner. It’s not an easy path, for sure.Share on X People just see you and they see that you appear young and, of course, make some sort of a mental association with that. And so what you’re saying is that it seems like your whole life, you’ve had to make up for that, whether it be with having doctor next year title or with just how you come across to people, how you speak. Do you notice that this has made you more sensitive towards other people’s appearance and how certain aspects of their appearance which they might not be able to help, I don’t know, if you want to look --- a lot of people do want to look younger than they are and I’ll admit to being one of them, but if someone’s appearance does impact that, has that made you more sensitive to it and more likely to want to wait to meet them a little bit before having that thought in your head about who you think they are? Absolutely. We all have our own biases, but, as a person, I treat everyone exactly the same so when I was younger and I lived in Portland, Oregon, I would have conversations with homeless people on the street. On the other end of the continuum, I remember when I was in college and a friend of mine was working with a celebrity and he came walking down the stairs and he was like, “Oh, I had the weirdest dream,” and without thinking, I just asked, “What did you dream?” I don’t really like the whole status of just because someone has a title or just because someone might come from a different background that they’re treated differently or they don’t get the same opportunities because I think we all have value as people. Do you ever feel that this concept of treating people as being in different strata, different segments, also tear some people apart because it prevents you from actually wanting to get to know certain people? This whole idea like, “Oh, it’s a celebrity, I shouldn’t talk to this person, they’re too busy for me, they don’t wanna talk to me,” or something like that? I think it’s a complex question because, on one end, I think that there are a lot of considerations that we should make when we’re connecting with people from all backgrounds and experiences, but on the other end, we’re all people and, at the end of the day, even if I might not agree with someone’s opinion, I would hope that we could have a dialogue about why we may not agree with each other without it becoming personal regardless of whatever labels we put on each other. So this like middle ground between completely ignoring how someone’s experience may be different because of any aspect of how they naturally appear to others or the background where they came from, but also not using that as a reason why you could never connect with a person, this whole idea like, “Oh, you don’t understand specifically what I’m going through as me, therefore, we’ll never connect,” can be a pretty dangerous place to be too. Right, because when you start applying those labels and that’s what someone becomes, I think we stop listening to each other and understanding what we might have in common. I guess you could take the complete extreme where some people’s values or beliefs might be in direct conflict with others or may put their lives at risk, and so I’m not saying for those instances that, “Kumbaya we’re all going to get along,” but I hope at the end of the day, that we all try to understand where each other is coming from enough to have a conversation where we can share our ideas and express our opinions and I’ll feel heard and at least somewhat understood. Hopefully, at least as much as possible. I mean, there’s always going to be people whose differences are so irreconcilable, they shouldn’t be friends, they shouldn’t be in a relationship, they shouldn’t work together. Yeah, if we can eliminate that and stop trying to look for reasons to dismiss a person, which is, I think, what a lot of people are trying to balance out in anything. We all have a way we naturally come across, whether it be our facial expression, whether it be something about the title, even something about our name and how it sounds. I know I asked you a few times to make sure I was pronouncing your last name right before introducing you on this particular episode. The key is to maybe try to reduce the amount of barriers that that creates. I would agree with that, for sure. I think the whole expression of “Treat others the way that they’d like to be treated” typically works for most life situations. Yeah. First of all, what made you decide data and analytics was going to be your field? What made you decide that you wanted to go on an entrepreneurial path? And what made you decide the types of organizations that you were going to eventually work with? Absolutely. So I think, for me, I have always been really inquisitive and curious. When I was a kid, I’d always be asking questions and trying to figure out why things were the way that they were and challenging things and so I think there is a part of me as an individual that was really drawn to doing things my way and then also guiding other people on the journey and it was just something that felt like a natural extension for me. I’d say that in terms of data analytics itself, I don’t necessarily know that it was a field. I think, for me, when I went to college, I actually studied psychology. I’ve always been drawn to psychology, why people do what they do, as well as Russian, so they both don’t go together whatsoever, trust me on that. I studied abroad in Russia and they’re never going to pay someone for advice, that’s just against their culture. That’s just not what they do in Russia. I kid, I kid....