The Journey to Data Fluency - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 185

to be unlocked. But despite these efforts, Stephen and Gordon still had to
learn to communicate the data in ways that everyone in the organization
could understand and act on.
wHy DATA FLUENCy?
It is the experience of Stephen, and all the other analysts toiling with data,
that have animated our efforts over the years. We've seen the energy that
gets poured into making sense of data—and all the waste as it gets obscured
in reports, detailed analyses, and slide presentations that fall flat with their
audiences. If the data were communicated differently, these analysts might
move people to action, change minds, and shine light on important choices.
If the value in data is to be unlocked, it takes better communication skills and
an engaged audience.
In 2007, Professor Thomas Davenport wrote an influential topic called
Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning . 1 He stoked a smoldering
ember into a flame by examining the power of analytics to improve organi-
zations. The topic catalyzed a generation of business leaders to look to ind
the value in their data.
Of course, we had quibbles when the topic came out. In particular, Davenport
advocates a centralized model for analytics, where the data is managed at
an enterprise-level by a cadre of data scientists building complex models to
drive decisions throughout the organization. He believed that the best orga-
nizational structure is a . . .
central analytics and data science organization, based in a Strategy function,
with analysts assigned to and rotated among business units and functions: This
is, I think, the optimal structure and home for analytics and data science. The
central function allows for a critical mass of quants and for central coordina-
tion of their skill and career development. It should be a shared service, where
anyone with the money and the high-priority requirements can get the help
they need. The assignment and rotation allows for close relationships between
analysts and decision-makers. 2
We believe in another approach, one that emphasizes front-line decision-
making in your organization. For us, management guru Peter Drucker sums
it up best: