With the concept of "Data Driven Organizations", managers instinctively and without a valid explanation, ask to be shown the data. This gives me one of two feelings... 

1. Distrust and disrespect. (Initial response) 
   • The questioning of the skills and qualifications I have as an data professional.
   • Having to prove to someone without a background is science, let alone data science is extremely disrespectful! 
   • ... I eventually "Bite my tongue",  which leads me to my other feeling... 
2. Overwhelmed. 
   • The complexity of the raw information, without the appropriate context cannot be explained in a "summary". 
   • The focus/concentration of the 'traditional' data-science training is that of defending the qualitative aspects, which leads, in the professional world, to continue to justify and explain the qualitative attributes of the data... which leads to managers rolling their eyes. (frustrating on both sides)

How can I work on managing my responses to provide for a more respectful communication of "Showing the data"?

 

At times in the past I've responded with "how would you like to see it"? Many times they don't want access to a SQL view. Many times they don't know what they want unless someone has a business analyst-like conversation with them. Sometimes they want a statistic or a measure. Sometimes they want a chart or a table or a map or a dashboard or a spreadsheet or a.... This has the potential to open up the dialogue where you can demonstrate your skills as a data professional while managing the expectations of the "magic" that they think you can do instantly with more realistic time frames. (If they really want the raw data, I've been know to provide copies of building permit applications or links to council documents containing subdivision plats.) It is a difficult question to tackle when so much of the data is digital. Stacks of plats, files of permit cards, and bound volumes of Census data are much more visible than a "hard drive" or a "cloud."

Our book this month suggest the too much data is bad. We already know that when we build apps, dashboards, maps, etc. It's our job to know the audience and show them what we want them to see. If certain managers want to "see the data" then send them a screen shot of the database or export to a spreadsheet like Matt stated.

Does the viz satisfy the customer? If the answer is yes then the request is complete.