Hub & Spoken.

What's in this podcast?

In this episode, Jason Foster talks to Mikel Davis, Senior Director of Strategic Analytics at Peacock, the streaming service for NBC.

Listen to this episode on Spotify, iTunes, and Stitcher. You can also catch up on the previous episodes of the Hub & Spoken podcast when you subscribe.

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One Big Message

Data is all about solving problems, but what happens if key stakeholders are unable to see the value of your work? One of the best ways to create a data-positive culture is to establish a relationship with those who will be most affected by data – and get some quick wins early based on pain points to prove its effectiveness.

[01:01] What sparked Mikel’s interest in data

[06:40] Why you need to put the business’ needs first

[09:30] How to bring stakeholders onboard with your vision

[13:00] Embedding a cultural change so people can understand the value of data

[17:30] How to strategically prioritise business goals to create a data strategy

[20:32] Structure your data team for success

[23:40] Some data use case examples from the entertainment industry

Prioritise business needs

There are always going to be competing interests when it comes to running a business. You need to find a way to balance the needs of your customers, your employees, and your shareholders. It can be difficult to know where to start, but by establishing relationships with people within your organisation and key decision makers you can create a strategy that will align with the organisation’s priorities.

Talk to those who will be most affected by the strategy

It can be easy to come up with a strategy and assume everyone will be on board. But that’s not always the case. When it comes to implementation of a new strategy, talk to those who will be most affected by it first. You may find that they already have their own ideas about how things should go and you can work together to make it happen. Or, you may realise that there’s some resistance, more explaining or selling of the idea is needed. Either way, talking to those who will be most affected is the best way to start off your new strategy.

Small wins first

In order to create and execute a data strategy, you can start with small wins to gain confidence and trust. This will help to get everyone on board and increase the chances of success for your overall data strategy. 

Work to improve your data governance, create a data-driven culture, and use analytics to make better decisions. These three areas will help you achieve success with your data strategy.

Embed a data culture into your organisation

Just as the world is becoming increasingly digitised, so too must businesses become data-driven to remain competitive. However, embedding a data culture into an organisation can be a challenge. Here are four simple steps to help embed a data culture into your organisation.

1. The first step is to make sure that everyone in the organisation understands why data matters and what business objectives it will help achieve. 
2. The second step is to establish clear ownership of data and analytics within the organisation. 
3. The third step is to create a robust data infrastructure and ensure that all team members have access to the right data and tools they need. 
4. The fourth and final step is to foster a culture of experimentation and continuous learning among team members. 

By following these steps, you can create a data-driven culture.

To summarise

Every company has data. But not every company has a data culture. A data culture is one in which data is used to make decisions, improve operations and drive the business forward. Embedding a data culture can be difficult but with the right intentions and strategy you can build relationships, educate stakeholders, demonstrate efficacy and get everyone on board.