What is spuddling?

Illustration of a Chief Executive spuddling by focusing on insignificant changes in data and unproductive performance discussions.

Spuddle(verb)

An old English dialect word meaning:

"To make a lot of fuss about trivial things, as if they were important."

That perfectly describes what happens when organisations react to random variation instead of understanding it.

Through Spuddling Solutions, I help organisations, we help organisations stop spuddling and start making data count.

Woman wondering whether the way she uses data means she is spuddling.
Woman wondering whether the way she uses data means she is spuddling.

Traditional performance reporting often leads organisations to:

  • Debate every monthly fluctuation.

  • React to random variation.

  • Demand explanations for expected noise.

  • Celebrate changes that aren't meaningful.

  • Spend valuable time discussing data instead of improving services.

Take the spuddling self-assessment