Donna LaLonde, ASA Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach

Members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) have come to be known as “sabermatricians” because they use analytics to inform decision-making in baseball. Now, members of the leadership cohort may come to be known as “leadermatricians,” since they had the opportunity to explore the applications of decision analytics in leadership.

Beginning January 18, the cohort participated in a series of four two-hour virtual workshops investigating decision analytics. For this experience, the cohort gathered from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. via Zoom video conference. The sessions were a combination of whole-group and small-group discussions. During the cultural competency workshop last October, there were many opportunities for small-group table discussions using Zoom’s breakout room feature.

The goals for this series of virtual sessions were to develop the ability to identify key factors, information, and challenges in decision-making; examine the knowledge base of decision tools; and develop the ability to influence decisions and lead the decision-making process.

As one might guess from the mention of sabermatricians, the first session was centered on a case study of the Moneyball experience. Gary Sullivan presented the background and introduced the people who played a role in encouraging the use of analytics in baseball decision-making. This case study analysis was followed by small-group discussion of challenges faced by these leaders and the implications of the case study to the leadership situations and work of the cohort.

During the second session, Karen Price, senior research adviser at Eli Lilly, presented a case study on quantitative decision-making in drug development. Through the case study, Price showed how quantitative approaches improve decision-making and increase the probability of success. The group discussed the tremendous and often unexpected benefits of using decision analytics. Most importantly, these approaches provide an avenue for statistical leadership—ensuring statisticians have a “seat at the table.”

One theme that emerged from the small-group discussions was the need to identify advocates to change culture and introduce quantitative approaches. These discussions provided an opportunity to revisit the topics explored during the first workshop on cultural competence. During the February 1 session, two groups shared leadership opportunities they were navigating. Their presentations reinforced the message Price shared—it is critical to ensure a shared vision of the critical success factors. To do this requires understanding the team’s characteristics and what factors are essential.

The final session provided an opportunity for ASA Past-President Lisa LaVange to meet with the cohort and share her insights on decision analytics and leadership. She was joined by ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein, who updated the group on the follow-up from the 2017 Symposium on Statistical Inference and 2016 ASA Board Statement on Statistical Significance and P-Values. This discussion provided an opportunity to explore the opportunities for leadership as a part of professional service.

The cohort will meet again May 3–4 at the ASA Office for the final workshop. The topic for the final workshop is executive presence. In preparation, members of the cohort are focusing on identifying opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge gained from the workshops on cultural competence and decision analytics as they choose to lead!