What are the best ways to make data-driven decisions accessible to all stakeholders?

2 Choose the right format

Data-driven decisions can be communicated in various formats, such as reports, dashboards, presentations, or stories. The format you choose should depend on the purpose, the context, and the audience of your communication. For example, if you want to inform your stakeholders about the status and progress of your project, you may use a dashboard that shows key metrics and trends. If you want to persuade your stakeholders to support your proposal, you may use a presentation that shows the problem, the solution, and the benefits. If you want to engage your stakeholders emotionally, you may use a story that shows the impact and the value of your data-driven decisions.

3 Simplify and visualize your data

Data can be complex and overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of it or if it comes from different sources. To make data-driven decisions accessible to all stakeholders, you need to simplify and visualize your data. Simplifying means reducing the amount of data you show, focusing on the most relevant and important information, and using clear and consistent language and terminology. Visualizing means using charts, graphs, icons, or images to represent your data in a way that is easy to understand and interpret. You can use tools like Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or Canva to create effective data visualizations.

4 Explain your insights and actions

Data-driven decisions are not just about showing data, but also about explaining what the data means and what actions you are taking or recommending based on the data. You need to provide context and background for your data, highlight the key insights and findings, and link them to your goals and objectives. You also need to show the impact and the value of your data-driven decisions, both for your organization and for your stakeholders. You can use tools like SMART goals, OKRs, or KPIs to measure and communicate the results of your data-driven decisions.

5 Invite feedback and collaboration

Making data-driven decisions accessible to all stakeholders is not a one-way process. You also need to invite feedback and collaboration from your stakeholders, to ensure that they understand, trust, and support your data-driven decisions. You can use tools like surveys, polls, or focus groups to collect feedback from your stakeholders, and use tools like Google Docs, Slack, or Trello to collaborate with your stakeholders on your data-driven decisions. You can also use tools like data storytelling or data democratization to empower your stakeholders to explore and use data themselves.