The Human Side of Statistical Engineering

• Activity Number: 236
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, July 30, 2012 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Consulting
• Author(s): Doug Zahn*+ and Erin Tanenbaum*+ and Jennifer H. Van Mullekom*+
• Companies: Zahn and Associates and NORC and DuPont
• Keywords: improve interactions ; serve ; non-technical barriers ; effective problem solving ; overcoming barriers ; complete set of tools

Abstract

We believe statistical engineering will help statistics grow to serve our data-dependent society better. This growth could be stimulated if statisticians develop deeper understanding of the applications they work on and improve their interactions with others. This session will be of value to statisticians in all areas and students. Speakers will address situations where they have encountered non-technical barriers to effective problem-solving. We will examine how these barriers occur, why they are powerful, and how to overcome them effectively.

Examples of barriers may include group dynamics, grasping client's ground rules, recovering from mistakes, identifying how clients will use results in the future, dealing with naysayers, providing or receiving advice, solutions which require a fundamental change to one of the participants' job description. Statistical engineering is still in its formative stages with a plan to grow to be a formal discipline with a curriculum. Now is the time to include the human side of statistical engineering in the curriculum so that the practitioner will have a complete set of tools to succeed and overcome technical and non-technical barriers.