How to Start Implementing Everything You’ve Learned
Episode #10 of the course How to create a data-driven culture by Jon Leighton
Congratulations, you’re nearly there!
We’ve already covered a lot. From business objectives to team culture, there is quite a bit involved with becoming a data-driven business.
Though you might have gotten started on some elements we’ve covered, you may still feel a little overwhelmed by the whole “data-driven culture” concept and don’t know where to start. So today, I’ll show you a step by step implementation process.
Step 1: Get everyone on board
First things first—call an all-team meeting and let everyone know that going forward, you’ll all be focusing on being more data-driven with every decision you make.
I hope I’ve made it clear enough throughout this course just how important it is to have the whole team on board. Without them, your data-driven decisions alone are almost pointless.
Take this time to answer any questions that they may have. Some of them might not feel they know enough about the data you’re asking them to consider. Some may want to take part in a workshop or some training to get them up to scratch.
Step 2: Set up and check your data
Next, it’s time to make sure you’re collecting your data correctly and that it’s accessible to everyone who needs it.
Find the best tools that work for everyone. Whether that’s setting up a simple spreadsheet as I’ve suggested or investing in a tool that does it for you, make sure it’s something that everyone knows how to use.
Check, check, and check again that your data is being tracked correctly. One wrong element and your decisions mean nothing.
Step 3: Identify which metrics you’re tracking
Using the principles I outlined in the earlier lessons, identify which metrics you’ll be tracking. You may need to have a different set depending on the goal of that department or team member. Your marketing staff may track different metrics than your customer support team, for example.
Make sure that everyone knows which metrics they’re tracking and remind them to always keep them in the back of their minds when working.
Step 4: Start being data-driven
Now it’s time to put everything you’ve learned into practice. Every time anyone makes a decision, ask them for the data that backs it up. You’ll soon be doing it automatically.
So there you have it! You’re now ready to transform into a data-driven business.
To recap, you should have now learned about the three things that are essential to any data-driven business:
● The Right Data
● The Right Mindset
● The Right Tools
Let’s go into a bit of detail to make sure it sticks:
● The Right Data – Identify a clear business objective and the right KPIs
● The Right Mindset – Get the team involved and openly share data between teams
● The Right Tools – Identify the right tools for your team and make sure they’re set up correctly
Hopefully you can see that despite looking like a big, scary concept, the idea of being data-driven is actually a simple one that can be broken down into easy-to-understand principles.
But the hard work starts now. Embedding data into your business isn’t always a quick process. That said, if you keep at it, keep reminding yourself of the three principles and you will get there.
If you’d like to do more reading on data-driven cultures, we highly recommend checking out Avinash Kaushik’s work. I’d also recommend checking out Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup, a must-read for any business (not just startups).
And with that, it’s time for you to start growing your business with the power of data!
Good luck,
Jon
Sign up to neatly.io for free and take the first step toward becoming more data-driven. Neatly has been built around the principles of being data-driven, allowing you to choose specific KPIs and make them accessible to your team.
Recommended book
Data Analytics Made Accessible: 2017 edition by Anil Maheshwari
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