The Importance Of Data Literacy And Data Storytelling
Data is the fuel that runs the fourth industrial revolution, and knowing how to work with data is more important than ever for employees at many organizations.
The value of data literacy is continuing to increase in companies all over the world. Forrester’s research predicts that 70% of employees are expected to work heavily with data by 2025 — up from just 40% in 2018. It’s clear that organizations that build data literacy into their workplace culture will gain a competitive edge in our increasingly complex global economy.
Recently, I had a conversation with Mark Nelson, President and CEO of Tableau, Salesforce’s data visualization platform. We talked about the importance of data literacy and data storytelling, and why these are critical skills people need to get ready for the future of work.
According to Mark, the definition of data literacy is “the ability to explore, understand and communicate with data.” But he expanded that definition and said data literacy also includes:
● Working with, interpreting, and making decisions with data
● Conveying data’s significance and value to others
● Understanding the world around you using data
● The ability to capture, store, and process data
● Knowing how to use data and get meaning from it
Tableau commissioned Forrester Consulting to survey over 2,000 managers and employees about the importance of data literacy in their organizations. Forrester reported that organizations that invest in data literacy and upskilling experience benefits like higher productivity, increased innovation, and better customer and employee experiences.
Although the vast majority of survey participants believe basic data literacy is the most important skill for success in today’s workplace, there are some discrepancies about whether companies adequately train employees. Specifically, 82% of leaders expect all employees to have basic data literacy, and 79% of leaders say teams are equipping workers with critical data skills — but only 40% of employees say they are being provided with the data skills their employers expect.
This Forrester survey indicates the enormous need for data skills training. Today’s organizations must focus on upskilling and reskilling their workers — and those that don’t will fall behind their competitors.
Companies that want to empower their employees to become data literate will need to not only provide data training but also instill a data-driven culture from top to bottom in their organizations.
“Data storytelling is the ability to distill data down to the insights you want and present those insights as a story,” Mark says. “Not everyone can speak the language of data, so you need to make data speak the language of everyone else. Putting data in context is the key to making it accessible.”
Going beyond just facts, figures, and dashboards, data can tell companies what problems they’re facing and lead them step by step, to insights and conclusions.
