Know the duties
One of the first questions people ask when they are looking for a specific piece of data to achieve their goals is “who should I speak to about…?”. To overcome this, ensure there is a clear and well-communicated tree of who is responsible for which parts of the data.
In a small organisation, this will often be shared by a few select people. In larger organisations, ownership of the data can be spread across departments, so it is essential that there is a clear pathway for those seeking data to be able to request access.
This will help cement the structure within the organisation, improve the standing of the data team within the business and improve interdepartmental communication. It will also make it easier for the data team to assess who is requiring specific types of data and why, which can lead to great developments for future training programmes and deducing the tools required.
Publicise data success
In the words of one DataIQ member when discussing data successes, “demonstrate progress to anyone that will listen.” It has been a frequent topic of conversation for DataIQ members – data leaders must shout about their successes in order to improve their standing and demonstrate what data can do. By demonstrating the benefits of data and what it can bring to different teams and departments, the standing of the data function within an organisation will improve and the drive to utilise data will gain momentum.
It is not always easy, and it can feel difficult in a legacy organisation or business that is still understanding data functions, but CDOs must not be afraid to put their voice out there. The goal is to nurture a data culture that builds enthusiasm for data potentials in all aspects of the business – and a key part of this journey is singing about data successes.
Communicate capabilities
A CDO should ensure that the capabilities of the data function are broadly communicated across the organisation and to all levels. It is imperative that these specific capabilities are made available for all those that need them to drive productivity, quality and efficiency. There will always be examples of a specific department not needing some data abilities, but those departments that require extensive use of data must know how and where to access those capabilities.
By having clear communication about the location and use of different data set and data tools, the possibilities for data-led decision-making increase drastically across all areas of an organisation.
Line up the vision and values
CDOs should aim to align the visions and values of data in the minds of staff in order to develop a core understanding of what data will bring to their roles and departments. This can be achieved through collaborating on the alignment of data objectives and business objectives.
The corporate vision should make clear the importance of data in achieving the wider organisational objectives and that data should be incorporated into each departmental objective. Once departments that have not previously been exposed to the full potential of data are able to appreciate the benefits it brings, the data culture of the organisation will become stronger and more ingrained.
It takes time to develop a data culture and each organisation will have its own unique journey, but it is possible to achieve in all shapes and sizes. A CDO needs to be tenacious with their approach and understand that individuals, teams, departments and decision makers will all have different levels of understanding and enthusiasm for data. By breaking down the process into separate areas and spotting where each approach can be slotted into different sectors of the business, attaining a strong data culture is easier than it may first appear.
