The numbers need style

Purpose – Budgetary and activity‐based data examination and analysis are core to planning for all organizations. This paper seeks to explore aspects of budgetary financial data and activity data focusing on how each is presented separately and in tandem for more productive decision making. Design/methodology/approach – Correlations between how data are typically presented versus how they may possibly be presented serve as the basis for a discussion on advantages to a more journalistic and visual approach to looking at numerical analysis. Findings – Using numbers to tell a story is the preferred method to inspire positive action when both presenting and beginning any and all discussions about budgetary and activity data. Library leaders wishing positive outcomes to stem from their data are advised to spend more time making data appealing in form for presentation to a variety of audiences. Originality/value – Financial and outcomes measures data analysis is growing in popularity as a means for making data‐driven decisions. Many leaders, however, continue to show numbers in standardized tabular form to all of their stakeholders. This method of presentation attempting to encourage others to enjoy and respect data analysis is not preferred to a more dynamic and visual adoption of data styling. It is argued that attractive presentation of data makes data analysis more attractive, and therefore, more likely to occur.