# Analytics Teleology By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-12-19 Teleology is the philosophy of purpose or ends. In applied analytics, analysts need to understand the ends to which analysis is being applied. Is the analytic effort focused on impressing, understanding, predicting, or controlling? The presentation, if not the analysis itself, will change depending on its telos. This can be a potential source of tension between management and analysts. For job security purposes, analysts might gravitate towards the telos of impressing by building complex models that few can understand or use. Or, based on inherent inquisitiveness, analysts might pursue understanding. Conversely, management due to how that function is assessed organizationally might desire analysis focused on prediction and control. This is not simply an esoteric concern of philosophy or psychology. This is an organizational concern because to the degree conversations about analytic teleology are not occurring in the space in which analysts pursue the development of complex models of understanding and management assumes the product will enable them to predict and control the future is created. In short, the absence of conversations about analytic teleology contributes to goal incongruence and operational divergence. Of course, outside of academic departments people seldom discuss teleology. It doesn’t have to be that abstract. Simply ask to what end is a given effort directed. If an answer can’t be generated that suggests the effort doesn’t need to be done at all. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Philosophy]] [[Teleology]] [[Management]] [[Purpose]]