Unlocking the Power of Data Literacy in Your Organisation

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, data democratisation has become a pivotal focus for many organisations. With tools like Power BI and Tableau making data accessible to all employees, there is a growing need for organisations to not only provide technical training but also develop robust data literacy programmes. Data literacy goes beyond just knowing how to use software—it equips individuals with the skills to interpret, communicate, and act on data insights effectively. In this article, I will discuss why data literacy is essential for organisations and offer nine key tips for building a successful data literacy programme that supports a data-driven culture.

For many companies, often the catalyst for data democratisation derives from the recognition that the traditional providers of reports and analytics are becoming an expensive bottleneck as demand increases for their time and expertise. Departments are struggling to exploit the massive volumes of data that are accruing through various sources - social media, customer transactions, IoT devices, real-time monitoring etc. Typically they are reliant on teams in the data areas to provide the insights and reports they need but these data teams are also struggling to ride the tsunami of data which results in everyone feeling constrained and frustrated.??

Businesses are recognising that data democratisation can drive smarter, faster decision-making. However, it’s important to recognise that in order to reap the benefits of such initiatives cultural changes will be also required - not just training in new software.

Data Literacy and Data Fluency are terms used widely to describe the need for a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of data and analytics. Whilst these terms are sometimes used interchangeably there is a difference. There are no common definitions of the two terms but the best description I have come across to differentiate them is to think of them as reflecting learning a language. If you are data literate you can understand concepts, the written word and put sentences together - if you are fluent you can almost unconsciously converse on the subject as though it were your native language.??

In my opinion you have to be literate before you can be fluent. So, for the purposes of this article I will stick to the term literacy as for me, this is a more realistic first goal for most organisations.

How Does Data Literacy Drive Data-Driven Decisions?

There are several ways in which data literacy can positively impact on an organisational goals:-

1. Informed Decision-Making at All Levels Data literacy enables employees across the organisation to make informed, data-driven decisions. From frontline staff making real-time operational choices to executives setting strategic direction, every decision benefits from the rigour that data analysis provides. This helps eliminate guesswork and reduces reliance on intuition alone.
2. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration Data literacy also improves communication between teams. When all employees have a foundational understanding of data, they can speak the same language. Whether in a meeting discussing performance metrics or a collaborative project between departments, data-literate employees can more effectively exchange ideas and insights, leading to better outcomes.
3. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Employees with strong data literacy skills are better equipped to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and think critically. Rather than accepting data at face value, they dig deeper to understand the context, identify trends, and predict future outcomes. This critical thinking is key to making data work for the business, ensuring decisions are grounded in reality rather than biases or incomplete information.

So, if we are Data Literate what does that look like?

If you are data literate you are able to understand, interpret and communicate data. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are familiar with the techniques used to generate analyses but you are able to understand and interpret reports and analytical outputs. Power BI, Tableau etc are just enabling tools, and it would be unrealistic, and potentially dangerous, to expect non-technical staff to garner the skills that data engineers, data science and analysts have developed over their years of studying and years of practice in industry.

Clearly, the data community has well honed technical skills but it’s important to recognise the other skills these professionals possess that make them highly data literate or data fluent. They generally possess deep data knowledge, numeracy skills, analytical mindsets and good problem solving skills. And so when thinking about data literacy it’s important to consider how the general populous of employees can be upskilled in these disciplines. I’ve witnessed on several occasions incorrect conclusions drawn by people not having a basic understanding of mathematics (e.g. averages) or because they have not got a true grasp on what the data they have been analysing actually represents or what its limitations are. Promoting data literacy ensures that employees not only have access to data but also possess the critical skills to transform that data into robust, actionable insights.

Building a Data-Driven Culture

For data democratisation and literacy to flourish, organisations must build a data-driven culture. This requires a commitment from leadership to invest in tools, training, and processes that support both initiatives. Some strategies to consider include:

• Providing User-Friendly Tools: Investing in platforms like Power BI that allow non-technical users to interact with data through dashboards and visualisations makes data more approachable and actionable for everyone.
• Training Programs: Organisations should provide data literacy workshops and ongoing training to upskill employees in areas like numeracy, interpreting data, using analytics tools, and communicating insights.
• Encouraging Data Use in Decision-Making: Managers and executives should model data-driven decision-making by encouraging the use of data in regular discussions, strategy meetings, and problem-solving sessions.
• Establishing Governance and Security Protocols: While democratising data, organisations must also set clear guidelines on data governance to ensure that data is accurate, reliable, and used ethically. This ensures that data is both accessible and trustworthy.

Focusing on the training aspect of these strategies, platforms like Power BI are fundamental to being able to access, summarise and visualise data. However, the key to unlocking their full potential lies in helping employees interpret and communicate data insights effectively. It’s not enough to know how to generate a table or put together a dashboard - real value comes from understanding what the data is telling you and how to convey that in a clear and actionable way to stakeholders.

So, a Data Literacy programme needs to have both technical and non-technical elements to realise the potential of distributing data and analytics to the wider organisation - and for many this will be a significant cultural shift.?

9 Tips for developing a Successful Data Literacy Programme?

A key part of the cultural shift will be the training and for this it’s important not to just focus on software. A robust and engaging programme is needed that can help build people’s confidence in data and analytics and adapt to the different levels of experience and expertise that exists within the organisation.

So, if you are considering putting an education programme together to support the technical training here are some tips:-

1. Involve the data experts - whether data scientists, analysts, data engineers, these communities are generally the most data fluent in your organisation. Their knowledge and passion for their subject area will breathe life into any training programmes you may develop. It’s also a great way of building relationships between the technical and commercial/operational spheres of the organisation.
2. Mix the training channels - consider using on-demand online training for more referential purposes e.g. numeracy training or training regarding data governance or data definitions. Use face-to-face workshops for those sessions where interaction and access to experts would be more beneficial.
3. Develop a library of case studies - use examples from within the business to provide practical exercises for groups to undertake and discuss, whether face-to-face or offline. This will make the subject much more accessible and relevant for trainees.
4. Develop a literacy survey - to gauge and monitor employee experience and capability both before and during the programme. Avoid making this a ‘test’ but instead use it to evaluate people’s level of comfort and interest in the particular subject areas. A good programme will positively impact both of these measures.
5. Evolve the programme - don’t aim for a ‘big bang’ launch. It’s likely you will need to constantly refine and adjust the programme based on people’s experience. Start with the basics, those areas the surveys are telling you require focus, run some pilots and then build the programme out from these.
6. Remember, the first aim of the programme should be to build people’s comfort and confidence in understanding and using data and the software. For those who are data/numbers averse, you will inevitably encounter some resistance. The more you can make the learning experience fun, relevant and accessible (e.g. using the company’s own data as examples) the greater the chance you will have of pulling, rather than pushing those who are initially disengaged.
7. Consider using a pre-rollout roadshow to spark people’s interest in the programme - keep it light, interactive and fun. Curate the roadshow team from across the organisation - both technical and non-technical.
8. Don’t reinvent the wheel - developing a completely new programme will be incredibly time consuming and resource-intensive. Make use of learning platforms (e.g Udemy, LinkedIn etc) which may have a good breadth of existing content in the areas where you need generic referential material for elements such as numeracy training or data concepts.
9. Get C-suite on board - critical to a programme’s success will be its buy-in from senior leadership within the organisation. Having advocates and sponsors at the top level is key to ensuring the programme gets traction and isn’t constantly derailed by shifting priorities. Encourage leaders to embed programme milestones in their department’s development plans.??

While platforms like Power BI are critical for accessing and visualising data, the key to unlocking their full potential lies in helping employees interpret and communicate data insights effectively. It’s not enough to know how to generate a table or put together a dashboard - real value comes from understanding what the data is telling you and how to convey that in a clear and actionable way to stakeholders.

One of the main goals of any Data Literacy programme should be to build confidence - the more comfortable people feel using data, reports and analyses the greater their willingness to stay on the journey. A good example of this is my experience with one client this summer…??

At Sophic, we’ve been working with various clients keen to improve data literacy across their organisations. We’ve recently engaged one client who had rolled out Power BI training to its employees but for many of them, despite the training being well received, it left them overwhelmed, having not encountered this kind of tool previously. Sophic were brought in to help build the trainees confidence in how to look for insights, design intuitive reports and how to visualise the outputs.?

The workshops delivered were non-technical (no laptops were used) but focused on approach and mindset - the feedback was universally positive (some of the best scores Sophic have ever received) and the general consensus was that it gave participants the guidance and confidence they needed to go back to their desks and use the tools they’d been trained in.?

This kind of complementary training is key to building confidence and to help people develop the right mindset and approaches needed to produce impactful work.?

Conclusion

As organisations embrace data democratisation, the success of these initiatives hinges on more than just providing employees with tools. By investing in comprehensive data literacy programmes that build confidence, improve communication, and foster critical thinking, businesses empower their teams to make informed, data-driven decisions at every level.?

At Sophic, we’ve seen first hand how tailored, practical workshops can transform how employees engage with data, driving growth and innovation. If you're looking to enhance data literacy across your organisation, why not reach out and see what we can do at Sophic to help reach your programme goals.?

Steve Hulmes - Analyst Coach, Sophic