5 Simple Ways to get your C-Suite on Board with Data

Some think the phrase โ€œdata is the new oilโ€ is already overhyped and overused.

But if it has shot so quickly to overuse then itโ€™s probably something worthy of attention. Research shows that insights driven organisations will grow at least seven times faster than global GDP (Forrester, 2018) โ€“ so there should be no doubt about the power of data to improve business.

Just as oil prospectors recognised the huge opportunity that came from extracting, processing and harnessing a valuable resource, todayโ€™s most successful organisations understand the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to analyse data to find new insights. This kind of environment - what many refer to as a data-driven culture - is only successful when senior leadership has made data a priority for the entire company.

James Eiloart
James Eiloart, Senior Vice President, EMEA

But for many businesses today, this kind of culture is a major shift and requires change โ€“ change in technology, mindset and priorities. For anyone in business, particularly large companies, shifting the ethos and values of an entire company is incredibly difficult. In a survey by NewVantage Partners, just 40 percent of executives reported success in implementing a โ€˜data-drivenโ€™ culture, so there is clearly a significant barrier here. Amongst organisations struggling to make the transition to becoming data-driven, many cite difficulties in getting C-level support as a significant obstacle. According to research by Forrester Consulting, nearly 50 percent of data professionals expressed a belief that their C-level executives donโ€™t fully support their organisationโ€™s data and analytics strategies.

Iโ€™m fortunate in my job that I get to speak with countless customers from diverse geographies and industries. The consistent refrain I hear from them is that building a data-driven organisation is only successful when itโ€™s clearly mandated by senior leadership. Securing buy-in at the C-suite and board level is critical. Without their support, changing an organisationโ€™s culture in a sustainable and scalable way becomes an uphill battle.

So how do you do it? How does someone succeed in getting their C-suite involved with becoming a data-driven organisation?