Many companies claim to want to be data-driven, but one of the biggest obstacles to achieving this goal is the misconception that data should only be accessible and analyzed to a select few specialised roles.

This is a limiting belief that prevents other employees from making informed decisions based on data. In reality, data can be a valuable tool for anyone within a company, regardless of their role.

What is it and why is it important?

Data Literacy is not just another buzzword! It is simply the ability to understand, interpret, and apply data to make decisions in the most meaningful way.  Data literacy is about being able to understand and use data, not just about knowing how to use specific data tools or techniques. This means that the skills and knowledge required for data literacy can vary depending on the individual’s role and responsibilities and vary further into technical and non-technical data literacy skills.

For example, a data scientist may need to know how to use statistical software to analyze data, while a marketing manager may need to know how to read and interpret data visualizations. However, both of these individuals would need to have the basic skills of data literacy, such as being able to identify the right data sources, ask the right questions, and communicate the results of their analysis.

In other words, data literacy is a set of foundational skills that everyone can benefit from, regardless of their job title or industry. By developing these skills, individuals can become more informed decision-makers and contribute to the success of their organizations.

Who benefits from it?

Every role uses data differently. Data literacy is now a critical skill for all business professionals, not just those in the IT/BI department. This is because data is now used to make decisions in every department of a business. For example, marketing professionals can use data to track the effectiveness of their campaigns, sales professionals can use data to identify potential customers and customer service professionals can use data to resolve customer issues.

In today’s data-driven economy, businesses that can make data-driven decisions have a competitive advantage. This is why it is so important for all business professionals to have at least a basic understanding of data literacy.

Here are some of the benefits of data literacy for business professionals:

• Improved decision-making: Data literacy can help business professionals make better decisions by providing them with the information they need to make informed choices.
• Increased productivity: Data literacy can help business professionals be more productive by automating tasks and in turn creating time for more strategic work.
• Enhanced creativity: Data literacy can help business professionals be more creative by providing them with new insights and perspectives.
• Improved communication: Data literacy can help business professionals communicate more effectively with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
• Proactivity: Instead of waiting for others to process data for you, data literacy lets you take action based on real-time data.

By developing data literacy skills, business professionals can become more valuable assets to their organizations and help them achieve their goals.

How to build a data-literate team

Building a data-literate team may not be so easy as it can be a psychological shift in mindset. It is also about creating a culture where people are encouraged to ask questions, challenge the status quo, and share their ideas, and not just about having the right data and tools.

By creating a culture of innovation and collaboration, organizations can build a more data-driven environment where people are empowered to make better decisions and achieve their goals.

Building a data-driven culture is also a process. It takes time for people to change their mindset and behaviours. Employees should be given time to go on this journey together. Over time, you will see people become more curious about data, more skeptical of assumptions, and more supportive of using data to make decisions.

Guiding Principles for building a data-literate team

• Invest in continuous relevant data training for all employees: participating in training is a great way to boost data literacy be it virtual, online courses, or in-person. Online courses can be a great way for employees to learn new skills and knowledge at their own pace. However, creating a shared experience for a group of employees can be more effective for integrating learnings. This is because shared experiences allow employees to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other.
• Encourage employees to put training into practice: Regardless of the way training is delivered, it is important to ensure that the training is relevant to the organization. This means that the training should cover topics that are relevant to the organization’s goals and objectives. It should also be relevant to the employees’ roles and responsibilities. Additionally, the training should be relevant to the employees’ career progression. This means that the training should help employees develop the skills and knowledge they need to advance in their careers.
• Choose the tool/software that meets your required needs: The latest technology trends can be exciting, but it’s important to stay grounded and focus on what’s best for your business.
• Focus on value creation: What problem are you trying to solve? What are you hoping to achieve? Once you have a clear understanding of your goals as an organization, you can achieve a lot with a data-literate team.
• Measure the impact of your investment: the impact of your investment in data literacy training should not be just based on how well they can use data tools efficiently but more on how efficient it is to make meaningful decisions based on the insights gotten from data.

Challenges and Possible Solutions

Changing the culture of an organization to be more data-driven can be a challenge, especially when people are used to doing things a certain way. It can be difficult to convince people to be more skeptical and analytical and to let go of old ways of thinking. But it is possible, as the example of the Covid-19 pandemic shows. When the pandemic forced people to work from home, many companies had to quickly adapt to new ways of working. This disruption led to more efficient, supportive, and flexible working arrangements.

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, it is imperative to note that building a data-driven culture within your organization does not happen overnight. It’s a process that requires lots of patience and unlearning, learning, and relearning. Training without practice would result in wasted effort. Ensure that most of what is learned is put into practice. Lastly, it is also important to remember that not everyone in the organization will need the same level of data literacy. prioritize training efforts on the employees who are most likely to use data to generate value for the organization, and afterwards, focus on the next group. This will create a roadmap for upskilling everyone in the organization over time.

Work with us here at Urbizedge to access personalized data literacy training and expert support to make your company get the best out of its data.