Improving data literacy within your organisation

Over the last 5 to 10 years, the data skills that organisations need and expect from their staff have evolved. Even the jobs of data scientists are becoming more hybrid, as research by Burning Glass shows. Highly paid data scientists are now expected to understand how to interpret data, consult with their internal clients, and communicate their ideas in a compelling and business-relevant way.

As researchers and designers, I’d like to think some of the skills business leaders say are missing from their organisations are part and parcel of what we do:

• Asking the right questions
• Understanding which data is relevant and how to test the validity of the data they have
• Interpreting the data well, so the results are useful and meaningful
• Testing hypotheses using A/B tests to see what results pan out
• Creating easy-to-understand visualizations so leaders understand the results
• Telling a story to help decision-makers see the big picture and act on the results of analysis

But research and design practice, including data literacy, is not always embedded in our organisations, our leaders, our ways of working and decision making.

What with COVID-19, bushfires and climate change, our need to listen to the scientists and make data-driven decisions is more urgent than ever.

HBR offers some practical suggestions for boosting data capabilities in your organisation.