I need to pitch a new data literacy program to organizational leadership (Directors up) and get their buy in. Do any of you have suggestions on solid "why's" that will translate well across all lines of business? Anything y'all would recommend avoiding? The program will include AI literacy and we have an AI-related item in our recently released strategic plan. I need to help them see the importance of literacy ahead of tackling big projects like incorporating AI. For context, our data management program is 8 weeks old and kicked off when I joined my organization.
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Chief Data Officer in Softwarea month ago
Exactly what problem are you trying to solve with a literacy program, and how do those problems negatively impact business performance? A focus on literacy without having provided anything of meaningful value from your data management initiative seems like a 'cart before the horse' situation to me. Rather than investing in literacy, I would instead invest in a product management approach to your data efforts, and focus on implementing solutions (AI based or otherwise) that help solve business problems. I tend to view most literacy efforts as doing more harm than good, since in my experience, people want better data to do their jobs, and we need to find a way to provide it in ways that are easy to use and easy to understand. If you've invested in building a great product, that has great data, that provides business value - and you're still struggling with adoption - then I might look at doing additional user training. But until you've done all those things, I wouldn't be focused on user training. Also, in my experience some people react negatively to being called 'illiterate'.
1.Data literacy empowers employees to make more informed, accurate, and timely decisions, directly impacting business performance and outcomes.
2.In today’s data-driven world, organizations with a high level of data literacy can adapt quickly to market changes, gain deeper customer insights, and innovate more effectively.
3.Your program’s AI literacy component aligns perfectly with your strategic plan’s AI-related goals, ensuring the workforce is prepared to leverage AI responsibly and effectively.
4.Data-literate employees can use data tools and technologies more efficiently, reducing the burden on specialised teams and streamlining processes.
5.Risk Mitigation: Improved data literacy reduces the risk of misinterpreting data, ensures compliance with governance policies, and promotes a culture of responsibility and ethics.
What to Avoid:
1.Avoid complex technical terms that might alienate non-technical leaders. Focus on the business impact and practical benefits instead.
2.Tailor your pitch to address specific pain points and goals of various business units.
3.While long-term benefits are important, also highlight quick wins and immediate improvements that data literacy can bring.