Context Gap

Results presented without supporting context—rate, volume, baseline comparisons—appear more significant than warranted. The absence of required metrics allows exceptions to be treated as standard performance.

## Trigger Signals

• Results presented without baseline comparisons
• Rate and volume absent from reporting
• Exceptions framed as standard performance
• "Impressive" results lack supporting context

## Why It Persists

Context requires work to gather and courage to present. Headlines are easier to celebrate. The incentive is to present clean, not complete.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "The results speak for themselves"
• "We don't need to over-explain"
• "Leadership wants the headline"
• "Adding context makes it look like excuses"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.

• Results presented without baseline comparisons
• Rate and volume absent from reporting
• Exceptions framed as standard performance
• "Impressive" results lack supporting context

## Why It Persists

Context requires work to gather and courage to present. Headlines are easier to celebrate. The incentive is to present clean, not complete.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "The results speak for themselves"
• "We don't need to over-explain"
• "Leadership wants the headline"
• "Adding context makes it look like excuses"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.

Context requires work to gather and courage to present. Headlines are easier to celebrate. The incentive is to present clean, not complete.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "The results speak for themselves"
• "We don't need to over-explain"
• "Leadership wants the headline"
• "Adding context makes it look like excuses"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.

Results are presented without the context needed to interpret them. Rate, volume, and baseline comparisons are absent. Exceptions look like standard performance because the frame is missing.

## What It Looks Like In the Wild

Results presented without supporting context—rate, volume, baseline comparisons—appear more significant than warranted. The absence of required metrics allows exceptions to be treated as standard performance.

## Trigger Signals

• Results presented without baseline comparisons
• Rate and volume absent from reporting
• Exceptions framed as standard performance
• "Impressive" results lack supporting context

## Why It Persists

Context requires work to gather and courage to present. Headlines are easier to celebrate. The incentive is to present clean, not complete.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "The results speak for themselves"
• "We don't need to over-explain"
• "Leadership wants the headline"
• "Adding context makes it look like excuses"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.

• "The results speak for themselves"
• "We don't need to over-explain"
• "Leadership wants the headline"
• "Adding context makes it look like excuses"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.

Decisions get made on incomplete information. Outliers get treated as representative. Resources flow to noise. Actual signal gets buried.