We all know how the Industrial Revolution changed organizations and their speed of working. It was the time when machines proved their mettle in having more muscle power than human beings. Until recently, computers had lost the battle when it came to intelligence and cognitive abilities. However, not anymore. We are in the middle of another revolution where machines are taking a quantum leap. Artificial intelligence and algorithms are showing tremendous results in interpreting complex information and predicting a pattern to build a robust data-driven culture.
Companies that were early adopters of AI are beginning to see remarkable results in their reduced costs and effective talent management. Such success stories are gradually making the combination of data and AI a crucial business asset. So much so that a survey by BCG showed that 85% of executives believe AI can help their organization in obtaining or sustain a competitive advantage.
C-suite executives are relying on data for making crucial business decisions. As top executives continue to participate in this big data explosion, the role of the Chief Data Officer will become a vital position in organizations. However, the challenge is to create a sustainable data-driven culture across teams and designations. The objective is to encourage the employees to take a fresh perspective on data and utilize it to their advantage.
Here are the drivers for building and inspiring a data-driven culture in an organization.
Leadership
Bringing about cultural change is a gradual process, and it has to come from the top. The leaders have to endorse the use of data to drive this change. To encourage this shift, they must start asking their teams to support their decisions and recommendations with data. Communication is another aspect that leaders can use to their advantage. Emails, events, and meetings can be used to stress the importance of data. For instance, share data-led success stories or reward employees who used data to resolve complex problems.
Strategy
Use a strategic approach to move your organization in the desired direction. The Chief Data Officer(CDO) can lead this change with a long-term data-centric strategy. The CDO can start by identifying data champions in the organization and work closely with them to bring this change into effect. As part of the next step, the CDO can introduce new resources and tools for better analysis and interpretation of data. Moreover, data analytics can go wrong and cost a lot to the business. To avoid such scenarios, a risk management system should be in place to raise flags at the right time.
Behavioral changes
Here’s the thing about change. It is hard and will be met with some resistance at every level. It happens because change requires a fundamental shift in behaviors and the way things are done. To effect a data-driven culture, leaders need to ask questions about the behaviors that will need to be changed. The actual process has to be a mix of formal and informal interventions. The earlier part may include rules and incentives. On the other hand, the informal must tap into the emotions of the employees. For instance, show how intelligent use of data can change the way they work, or how it can shift their focus from the mundane to a more action-oriented job.
Training
Organizations will have to spend time and other resources to reskill their employees. Apart from developing cutting-edge skills in machine learning, IoT, and AI, organizations also need to train employees in using them for analyzing large chunks of data. The employees need to be trained to excel in data-driven decision-making and ask pointed questions when using data.
Technology
If there is a single most essential pillar of a data-driven culture, it is technology. An organization needs to invest in tools that can make the complex task of managing, interpreting, and predicting patterns from data. Moreover, all the departments need to come on one common platform so that data can be used to get a holistic view. Machine learning and AI can be used to convert raw data into meaningful information. The employees can use this information to list their action points and get going. For instance, HCM Software can significantly help HR professionals to make crucial decisions related to hiring, training, and employee engagement. Adrenalin’s HR analytics software is an excellent example of gaining insights into organization trends and employee behavior.
This data explosion is here and will change the way organizations work. Embracing it and driving a cultural change will become essential to make organizations future-ready.