SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  3
Télécharger pour lire hors ligne
HBR Blog Network




Data Is Useless Without the Skills to Analyze It
by Jeanne Harris | 9:00 AM September 13, 2012
Comments (17)




Do your employees have the skills to benefit from big data? As Tom Davenport and DJ Patil note in their
October Harvard Business Review article on the rise of the data scientist, the advent of the big data era
means that analyzing large, messy, unstructured data is going to increasingly form part of everyone's
work. Managers and business analysts will often be called upon to conduct data-driven experiments, to
interpret data, and to create innovative data-based products and services. To thrive in this world, many
will require additional skills.

Companies grappling with big data recognize this need. In a new Avanade survey, more than 60 percent
of respondents said their employees need to develop new skills to translate big data into insights and
business value. Anders Reinhardt, head of Global Business Intelligence for the VELUX Group — an
international manufacturer of skylights, solar panels and other roof products based in Denmark — is
convinced that "the standard way of training, where we simply explain to business users how to access
data and reports, is not enough anymore. Big data is much more demanding on the user." Executives in
many industries are putting plans into place to beef up their workforce's skills. They tell me that
employees need to become:

Ready and willing to experiment: Managers and business analysts must be able to apply the principles
of scientific experimentation to their business. They must know how to construct intelligent hypotheses.
They also need to understand the principles of experimental testing and design, including population
selection and sampling, in order to evaluate the validity of data analyses. As randomized testing and
experimentation become more commonplace in the financial services, retail and pharmaceutical
industries, a background in scientific experimental design will be particularly valued.

Google's recruiters know that experimentation and testing are integral parts of their culture and business
processes. So job applicants are asked questions such as "how many golf balls would fit in a school
bus?" or "how many sewer covers are there in Manhattan?" The point isn't to find the right answer but to
test the applicant's skills in experimental design, logic and quantitative analysis.

Adept at mathematical reasoning: How many of your managers today are really "numerate" —
competent in the interpretation and use of numeric data? It's a skill that's going to become increasingly
critical. VELUX's Reinhardt explains that "Business users don't need to be statisticians, but they need to
understand the proper usage of statistical methods. We want our business users to understand how to
interpret data, metrics, and the results of statistical models."

Some companies, out of necessity, make sure that their employees are already highly adept at
mathematical reasoning when they are hired. Capital One's hiring practices are geared toward hiring
highly analytical and numerate employees into every aspect of the business. Prospective employees,
including senior executives, go through a rigorous interview process, including tests of their mathematical
reasoning, logic and problem solving abilities.

Able to see the big (data) picture: You might call this "data literacy": competence in finding,
manipulating, managing, and interpreting data, including not just numbers but also text and images. Data
literacy skills must spread far beyond their usual home, the IT function, and become an integral aspect of
every business function and activity.

Procter & Gamble's CEO, Bob McDonald, is convinced that "data modeling, simulation, and other digital
tools are reshaping how we innovate." And that has changed the skills needed by his employees. To
meet this challenge, P&G created "a baseline digital-skills inventory that's tailored to every level of
advancement in the organization." At VELUX, data literacy training for business users is a priority.
Managers need to understand what data is available, and to use data visualization techniques to process
and interpret it. "Perhaps most importantly, we need to help them to imagine how new types of data can
lead to new insights," notes Reinhardt.

Tomorrow's leaders need to ensure that their people have these skills, along with the culture, support and
accountability to go with it. In addition, they must be comfortable leading organizations in which many
employees, not just a handful of IT professionals and PhDs in statistics, are up to their necks in the
complexities of analyzing large, unstructured and messy data.

Here's another challenge: The prospect of employees downloading and mashing up data brings up
concerns about data security, reliability and accuracy. But in my research, I've found that employees are
already assuming more responsibility for the technology, data and applications they use in their work.
Employees must understand how to protect sensitive corporate data. And leaders will need to learn to
"trust, but verify" the analyses of their workforce.

Ensuring that big data creates big value calls for a reskilling effort that is at least as much about fostering
a data-driven mindset and analytical culture as it is about adopting new technology. Companies leading
the revolution already have an experiment-focused, numerate, data-literate workforce. Are you ready to
join them?

_____________________

BIG DATA INSIGHT CENTER
  Who's Really Using Big Data
  Use Big Data to Find New Micromarkets
  Integrate Data Into Products, or Get Left Behind
  How to Avoid the Big Data "Gotcha's"

More >>

More blog posts by Jeanne Harris
More on: IT management, Information & technology, Innovation




JEANNE HARRIS
Jeanne Harris is a Chicago-based senior executive research fellow with the Accenture Institute for High Performance.
She leads the Institute’s research on analytics and technology and is the co-author of Competing on
Analytics and Analytics at Work, both published by Harvard Business Press.

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for success
Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for successBreakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for success
Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for successAmanda Sirianni
 
Why sourcing speed is critical
Why sourcing speed is criticalWhy sourcing speed is critical
Why sourcing speed is criticalWGroup
 
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_Yhat
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_YhatApplied_Data_Science_Presented_by_Yhat
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_YhatCharlie Hecht
 
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland.
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland. [Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland.
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland. LinkedIn D-A-CH
 
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018Merry D'souza
 
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + People
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + PeopleInformation 3.0 - Data + Technology + People
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + PeopleHubbard One
 
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven BusinessBig and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven BusinessMichael Bailey
 
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market Share
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market ShareData Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market Share
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market ShareFormulatedby
 
Business intelligence
Business intelligence Business intelligence
Business intelligence Yona Kasebele
 
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - Whitepaper
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - WhitepaperBig Data Trends and Challenges Report - Whitepaper
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - WhitepaperVasu S
 
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018Merry D'souza
 
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...SlideTeam
 
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity Curve
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity CurveInvesting in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity Curve
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity CurveCognizant
 
Data science market insights usa
Data science market insights usaData science market insights usa
Data science market insights usaKaitlin McAndrews
 
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_final
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_finalImnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_final
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_finalRosario Cunha
 
Unlocking value in your (big) data
Unlocking value in your (big) dataUnlocking value in your (big) data
Unlocking value in your (big) dataOscar Renalias
 
How to reach a Data Driven culture
How to reach a Data Driven cultureHow to reach a Data Driven culture
How to reach a Data Driven cultureMark Beekman
 
What is Big Data? - Business Plans
What is Big Data? - Business PlansWhat is Big Data? - Business Plans
What is Big Data? - Business PlansOur Business Ladder
 

Tendances (20)

Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for success
Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for successBreakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for success
Breakthrough experiments in data science: Practical lessons for success
 
Why sourcing speed is critical
Why sourcing speed is criticalWhy sourcing speed is critical
Why sourcing speed is critical
 
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_Yhat
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_YhatApplied_Data_Science_Presented_by_Yhat
Applied_Data_Science_Presented_by_Yhat
 
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland.
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland. [Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland.
[Studienergebnisse 2015] Big Data - Status Quo in der HR in Deutschland.
 
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
 
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + People
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + PeopleInformation 3.0 - Data + Technology + People
Information 3.0 - Data + Technology + People
 
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven BusinessBig and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
 
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market Share
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market ShareData Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market Share
Data Science Salon: Adopting Machine Learning to Drive Revenue and Market Share
 
Business intelligence
Business intelligence Business intelligence
Business intelligence
 
Big_Data
Big_DataBig_Data
Big_Data
 
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - Whitepaper
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - WhitepaperBig Data Trends and Challenges Report - Whitepaper
Big Data Trends and Challenges Report - Whitepaper
 
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
The 10 Most Admired Analytics Companies to Watch in 2018
 
The 10 best performing big data & business analytics companies july 2017
The 10 best performing big data & business analytics companies july 2017The 10 best performing big data & business analytics companies july 2017
The 10 best performing big data & business analytics companies july 2017
 
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...
Artificial Intelligence For Digital Transformation PowerPoint Presentation Sl...
 
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity Curve
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity CurveInvesting in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity Curve
Investing in AI: Moving Along the Digital Maturity Curve
 
Data science market insights usa
Data science market insights usaData science market insights usa
Data science market insights usa
 
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_final
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_finalImnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_final
Imnswp 16038 analytics manifesto_final
 
Unlocking value in your (big) data
Unlocking value in your (big) dataUnlocking value in your (big) data
Unlocking value in your (big) data
 
How to reach a Data Driven culture
How to reach a Data Driven cultureHow to reach a Data Driven culture
How to reach a Data Driven culture
 
What is Big Data? - Business Plans
What is Big Data? - Business PlansWhat is Big Data? - Business Plans
What is Big Data? - Business Plans
 

En vedette

Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)
Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)
Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)walterbarnes
 
Bpc Housing Demography
Bpc Housing DemographyBpc Housing Demography
Bpc Housing Demographywalterbarnes
 
Learn BEM: CSS Naming Convention
Learn BEM: CSS Naming ConventionLearn BEM: CSS Naming Convention
Learn BEM: CSS Naming ConventionIn a Rocket
 
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media Plan
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media PlanHow to Build a Dynamic Social Media Plan
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media PlanPost Planner
 
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldaba
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika AldabaLightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldaba
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldabaux singapore
 
SEO: Getting Personal
SEO: Getting PersonalSEO: Getting Personal
SEO: Getting PersonalKirsty Hulse
 

En vedette (8)

Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)
Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)
Safe Energy Report 2012 (2)
 
How to Publish Your Century 21 Website Video
How to Publish Your Century 21 Website VideoHow to Publish Your Century 21 Website Video
How to Publish Your Century 21 Website Video
 
Bpc Housing Demography
Bpc Housing DemographyBpc Housing Demography
Bpc Housing Demography
 
Learn BEM: CSS Naming Convention
Learn BEM: CSS Naming ConventionLearn BEM: CSS Naming Convention
Learn BEM: CSS Naming Convention
 
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media Plan
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media PlanHow to Build a Dynamic Social Media Plan
How to Build a Dynamic Social Media Plan
 
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldaba
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika AldabaLightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldaba
Lightning Talk #9: How UX and Data Storytelling Can Shape Policy by Mika Aldaba
 
SEO: Getting Personal
SEO: Getting PersonalSEO: Getting Personal
SEO: Getting Personal
 
Succession “Losers”: What Happens to Executives Passed Over for the CEO Job?
Succession “Losers”: What Happens to Executives Passed Over for the CEO Job? Succession “Losers”: What Happens to Executives Passed Over for the CEO Job?
Succession “Losers”: What Happens to Executives Passed Over for the CEO Job?
 

Similaire à Data Is Useless Without The Skills To Analyze It

How to successfully get into data science.pdf
How to successfully get into data science.pdfHow to successfully get into data science.pdf
How to successfully get into data science.pdfkenyenvitong
 
Solving the digital skills gap
Solving the digital skills gap   Solving the digital skills gap
Solving the digital skills gap Patrick Naughton
 
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up Opportunity
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up OpportunityDriving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up Opportunity
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up OpportunityPlatfora
 
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunity
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunityDriving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunity
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunityThe Economist Media Businesses
 
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalytics
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalyticsatos-whitepaper-bigdataanalytics
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalyticsNicolas Mallison
 
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White Paper
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White PaperOdgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White Paper
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White PaperRobertson Executive Search
 
Data Science Whitepaper
Data Science WhitepaperData Science Whitepaper
Data Science WhitepaperTuan Yang
 
Data Science Growth Accelerator
Data Science Growth AcceleratorData Science Growth Accelerator
Data Science Growth AcceleratorKanika Khanna
 
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...Sokho TRINH
 
Practical analytics john enoch white paper
Practical analytics john enoch white paperPractical analytics john enoch white paper
Practical analytics john enoch white paperJohn Enoch
 
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptx
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptxABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptx
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptxVASANTHIG10
 
From Big Data to Business Value
From Big Data to Business ValueFrom Big Data to Business Value
From Big Data to Business ValueGib Bassett
 
Top 10 areas of expertise in data science
Top 10 areas of expertise in data scienceTop 10 areas of expertise in data science
Top 10 areas of expertise in data scienceGlobalTechCouncil
 
Analytics Trends 20145 - Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015
Analytics Trends 20145 -  Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015Analytics Trends 20145 -  Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015
Analytics Trends 20145 - Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015Edgar Alejandro Villegas
 
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data Analytics
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data AnalyticsCapitalize On Social Media With Big Data Analytics
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data AnalyticsHassan Keshavarz
 

Similaire à Data Is Useless Without The Skills To Analyze It (20)

Achieving Business Success with Data.pdf
Achieving Business Success with Data.pdfAchieving Business Success with Data.pdf
Achieving Business Success with Data.pdf
 
How to successfully get into data science.pdf
How to successfully get into data science.pdfHow to successfully get into data science.pdf
How to successfully get into data science.pdf
 
Solving the digital skills gap
Solving the digital skills gap   Solving the digital skills gap
Solving the digital skills gap
 
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up Opportunity
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up OpportunityDriving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up Opportunity
Driving A Data-Centric Culture: A Bottom Up Opportunity
 
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunity
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunityDriving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunity
Driving a data-centric culture: a bottom-up opportunity
 
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalytics
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalyticsatos-whitepaper-bigdataanalytics
atos-whitepaper-bigdataanalytics
 
Bidata
BidataBidata
Bidata
 
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White Paper
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White PaperOdgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White Paper
Odgers Berndtson and Unico Big Data White Paper
 
Future-Proof Your Career
Future-Proof Your CareerFuture-Proof Your Career
Future-Proof Your Career
 
What is business analytics
What is business analyticsWhat is business analytics
What is business analytics
 
Data Science Whitepaper
Data Science WhitepaperData Science Whitepaper
Data Science Whitepaper
 
Data Science Growth Accelerator
Data Science Growth AcceleratorData Science Growth Accelerator
Data Science Growth Accelerator
 
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...
data-to-insight-to-action-taking-a-business-process-view-for-analytics-to-del...
 
Practical analytics john enoch white paper
Practical analytics john enoch white paperPractical analytics john enoch white paper
Practical analytics john enoch white paper
 
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptx
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptxABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptx
ABOUT DATA SCIENCE big data analytics ppt.pptx
 
From Big Data to Business Value
From Big Data to Business ValueFrom Big Data to Business Value
From Big Data to Business Value
 
BIG DATA, small workforce
BIG DATA, small workforceBIG DATA, small workforce
BIG DATA, small workforce
 
Top 10 areas of expertise in data science
Top 10 areas of expertise in data scienceTop 10 areas of expertise in data science
Top 10 areas of expertise in data science
 
Analytics Trends 20145 - Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015
Analytics Trends 20145 -  Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015Analytics Trends 20145 -  Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015
Analytics Trends 20145 - Deloitte - us-da-analytics-analytics-trends-2015
 
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data Analytics
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data AnalyticsCapitalize On Social Media With Big Data Analytics
Capitalize On Social Media With Big Data Analytics
 

Data Is Useless Without The Skills To Analyze It

  • 1. HBR Blog Network Data Is Useless Without the Skills to Analyze It by Jeanne Harris | 9:00 AM September 13, 2012 Comments (17) Do your employees have the skills to benefit from big data? As Tom Davenport and DJ Patil note in their October Harvard Business Review article on the rise of the data scientist, the advent of the big data era means that analyzing large, messy, unstructured data is going to increasingly form part of everyone's work. Managers and business analysts will often be called upon to conduct data-driven experiments, to interpret data, and to create innovative data-based products and services. To thrive in this world, many will require additional skills. Companies grappling with big data recognize this need. In a new Avanade survey, more than 60 percent of respondents said their employees need to develop new skills to translate big data into insights and business value. Anders Reinhardt, head of Global Business Intelligence for the VELUX Group — an international manufacturer of skylights, solar panels and other roof products based in Denmark — is convinced that "the standard way of training, where we simply explain to business users how to access data and reports, is not enough anymore. Big data is much more demanding on the user." Executives in many industries are putting plans into place to beef up their workforce's skills. They tell me that employees need to become: Ready and willing to experiment: Managers and business analysts must be able to apply the principles of scientific experimentation to their business. They must know how to construct intelligent hypotheses. They also need to understand the principles of experimental testing and design, including population selection and sampling, in order to evaluate the validity of data analyses. As randomized testing and
  • 2. experimentation become more commonplace in the financial services, retail and pharmaceutical industries, a background in scientific experimental design will be particularly valued. Google's recruiters know that experimentation and testing are integral parts of their culture and business processes. So job applicants are asked questions such as "how many golf balls would fit in a school bus?" or "how many sewer covers are there in Manhattan?" The point isn't to find the right answer but to test the applicant's skills in experimental design, logic and quantitative analysis. Adept at mathematical reasoning: How many of your managers today are really "numerate" — competent in the interpretation and use of numeric data? It's a skill that's going to become increasingly critical. VELUX's Reinhardt explains that "Business users don't need to be statisticians, but they need to understand the proper usage of statistical methods. We want our business users to understand how to interpret data, metrics, and the results of statistical models." Some companies, out of necessity, make sure that their employees are already highly adept at mathematical reasoning when they are hired. Capital One's hiring practices are geared toward hiring highly analytical and numerate employees into every aspect of the business. Prospective employees, including senior executives, go through a rigorous interview process, including tests of their mathematical reasoning, logic and problem solving abilities. Able to see the big (data) picture: You might call this "data literacy": competence in finding, manipulating, managing, and interpreting data, including not just numbers but also text and images. Data literacy skills must spread far beyond their usual home, the IT function, and become an integral aspect of every business function and activity. Procter & Gamble's CEO, Bob McDonald, is convinced that "data modeling, simulation, and other digital tools are reshaping how we innovate." And that has changed the skills needed by his employees. To meet this challenge, P&G created "a baseline digital-skills inventory that's tailored to every level of advancement in the organization." At VELUX, data literacy training for business users is a priority. Managers need to understand what data is available, and to use data visualization techniques to process and interpret it. "Perhaps most importantly, we need to help them to imagine how new types of data can lead to new insights," notes Reinhardt. Tomorrow's leaders need to ensure that their people have these skills, along with the culture, support and accountability to go with it. In addition, they must be comfortable leading organizations in which many employees, not just a handful of IT professionals and PhDs in statistics, are up to their necks in the complexities of analyzing large, unstructured and messy data. Here's another challenge: The prospect of employees downloading and mashing up data brings up concerns about data security, reliability and accuracy. But in my research, I've found that employees are already assuming more responsibility for the technology, data and applications they use in their work.
  • 3. Employees must understand how to protect sensitive corporate data. And leaders will need to learn to "trust, but verify" the analyses of their workforce. Ensuring that big data creates big value calls for a reskilling effort that is at least as much about fostering a data-driven mindset and analytical culture as it is about adopting new technology. Companies leading the revolution already have an experiment-focused, numerate, data-literate workforce. Are you ready to join them? _____________________ BIG DATA INSIGHT CENTER Who's Really Using Big Data Use Big Data to Find New Micromarkets Integrate Data Into Products, or Get Left Behind How to Avoid the Big Data "Gotcha's" More >> More blog posts by Jeanne Harris More on: IT management, Information & technology, Innovation JEANNE HARRIS Jeanne Harris is a Chicago-based senior executive research fellow with the Accenture Institute for High Performance. She leads the Institute’s research on analytics and technology and is the co-author of Competing on Analytics and Analytics at Work, both published by Harvard Business Press.