Why your business needs Data Translators

When two sides don’t speak the same language, their approach and decisions will differ, causing huge losses to a business. Data translators help your business talk in a language that’s best for your growth.

While almost all businesses today understand the importance of data, it’s analysis, and data-based decisions, the issue that transcends every industry is the misunderstanding between the data analysts and the frontline decision makers. A common complaint has been that data analysts stay aloof and seem uninterested in the business problems of the less technical co-workers, such as the business executives. They do not feel the need to explain the implications of their insights, making it difficult for professionals lying outside the technical realm to partner effectively with them. And this is where the role of a data translator comes in.

A data translator could be any domain expert, with deep knowledge of their business line, as well as requisite interpersonal skills. These domain experts come with a high-level of practice experience and the consequent storytelling ability. Let’s take a look at some of the issues that a data translator can help address for their company.

Why data translators: data hubris

Translate analytics into a language that decision makers understand; it’s not as simple as it sounds. One of the biggest challenges faced by anyone attempting translation is data hubris. Data hubris refers to the often-implicit assumption that big data is a substitute, rather than a supplement, to data collected and analyzed traditionally. At the heart of this problem is a false dichotomy between numbers and intuition. In reality, what is actually needed is an alignment of all the variables, what you see, what you hear, the numbers, and much more. A data translator uses, in a complementary way, analytics and firsthand observations, only to form a holistic opinion.

Why data translators: making biases

A common mistake, made by both an analyst and a decision-maker, is that of biases, regardless of the extensive research and concrete facts used in reaching any conclusion. Two very common biases are overconfidence bias and emotional bias. Overconfidence bias dampens the utility of data-driven intelligence. In case of an inherently tricky business, chances of an overconfidence bias prevail, despite the analyst or executives’ stellar record or thorough research.

An emotional bias, on the other hand, occurs when the decision- maker lets his decisions get influenced by external noise. A data translator eliminates this noise by not letting his decisions get affected by the expectations of other stakeholders from him.

How do data translators operate?

Since leaders in the senior management do not speak the same language as the analysts, your business certainly faces a significant communication barrier. The need of the decision makers is a clearer way to receive complex insights. Data translators, therefore, talk to them in plain language, abetted by visuals, for the decision makers to easily absorb the meaning of the data. Data translators use various approaches, like text and voice analytics, data visualization, social media analysis, and process simulation in order to simplify the message from analysts to business executives.

The role of a data translator in your business is to bridge the cultural gap between the executive decision makers and analysts, addressing the disparity between the claims for big data and its reality.