Use (Small) Data to Achieve Big Impact

Organizations are increasingly drowning in data as they get better at capturing and storing data from multiple streams. The challenge comes in trying to make sense of that data and use it to make data-informed decisions. Out of the box solutions or finance-led big data projects sound cool and can generate colorful graphs and dashboards, but the output of those can be confusing or even misleading. Learning how to manage organizational expectations and use data effectively is a critical skill for any L&D team.

In this session we will walk through some of the dangers of “black box” big data approaches and how focusing in on a few targeted data metrics can yield compound benefits. We’ll start by reviewing some guiding questions which can help a team identify and prioritize what data they have ready access to and what business needs are the highest priority. When it comes to data use within your organization don’t forget: You are the expert. You’re the one that can put it into context and transform data into usable information.

We’ll also discuss some strategies for making sure the information you’re providing to stakeholders is contextually relevant, clear and actionable.

In this session you will learn:

• Questions to guide a review or creation of a new data strategy
• The difference between data and information
• Why small data often trumps big data and how to use that to drive change
• Some tips for creating graphs that aren’t confusing to users