¿Cuáles son las mejores prácticas para usar datos y evidencia en la narración estratégica?

- Una vez que se conoce la audiencia, cambiar la forma de presentación a dicha audiencia. - Evitar usar tecnicismos, ser claros, sencillos y prácticos en la presentación. - Mantener un diálogo con la audiencia. - Buscar la sinergia. - Usar ejemplos aplicables a la audiencia.

I once collaborated with an executive who I was unable to build a rapport with. The more I spoke the less he engaged. I needed his support to move a customer experience program forward, but I was not succeeding. I attended his presentations and I listened closely to him. I remembered that people receive and process information differently. Some people process information visually, others auditorily, and others physically. The executive used visual language. His verbs were rich with visual references. I shifted my communication style from talking to showing him visuals. The shift in tactics made all the difference. By talking less and showing charts and graphs more, I gained an ally and brought the project to a successful conclusion.

1 We need to understand our audience thoroughly, their demographics, preference, knowledge, level and interest, value, belief and priorities so that we can customize our story telling 2 Find out key insights, trends finding from data analysis that are relevant and impactful to audience with focus on information that address their needs, challenges and opportunities 3 Build narrative using data, evidence storytelling element that engage audience ensuring it connect with real world issue, challenges and opportunities 4 Using data visualization, graphs, infographic to enhance story telling experience 5 We have to ensure integrity, accuracy and credibility of data, evidence, transparency and ensure two way dialogue with audience for engagement

Adicionaría los siguientes puntos; 1. Conocimiento de la Audiencia. Esto incluye entender intereses, nivel de conocimiento sobre el tema y qué tipo de información que buscan o necesitan. 2. Claridad. Los datos deben ser presentados de manera clara y directa, utilizando gráficos o imágenes para ilustrar los puntos clave. 3. Ejemplificación. Utilizar ejemplos específicos que se relacionen directamente con los intereses o proyectos actuales de la audiencia. 4. Adaptación de los Ejemplos a Proyectos Actuales. Estén alineados con los proyectos o preocupaciones actuales de la audiencia. 5. Uso de un Lenguaje Accesible. Evitar el uso de tecnicismos o términos demasiado complejos que puedan confundir a la audiencia.

include integrating compelling data points that reinforce the narrative, ensuring the information is credible and sourced transparently. It's crucial to present data in a way that is accessible and engaging to the audience, using visuals like charts or infographics to illustrate key points and trends. Additionally, stories should be crafted to show the human impact of the data, making abstract numbers relatable and meaningful to the audience, thereby strengthening the overall message and its persuasive power.

I would say don't lead with the data. To convince people you need to engage 'hearts AND minds' and the reason why you lead with engaging the heart is because the brain makes decisions based on words/emotions and then the data simply confirms that decision. Always start with the story and then back up with the facts/data.

Understanding your audience's needs, preferences, and level of understanding is crucial. Tailor your story to resonate with them, ensuring it aligns with their interests and comprehension level.

Sun Tzu said "Know the enemy and know yourself in a hundred battles you will never be in peril." While we are not fighting a war, the key to impactful strategic storytelling with data is understanding your audience. By knowing their goals, preferred information format, and existing beliefs, you can tailor the data and evidence you use to resonate with them and effectively convey your message.

1. Preparación: Tener un entendimiento profundo de la información. 2. Comunicación Efectiva: Adaptar el estilo y el tono de la comunicación a las necesidades y expectativas de la audiencia. Esto implica ser claro, directo y sencillo. Utilizar un lenguaje que la audiencia comprenda fácilmente, evitando tecnicismos que puedan confundir o alienar a los oyentes. 3. Uso de Ejemplos: Selecciona ejemplos que no solo ilustren los puntos clave de los datos, sino que también sean directamente aplicables y entendibles para la audiencia. 4. Claridad y Concisión: Evitar sobrecargar a la audiencia con datos innecesarios. 5. Visualización de Datos: Utiliza gráficos, tablas y otras herramientas visuales.

Data points converted to visualized graphs, pictures or general art work takes story telling to another level. Strategies that are based on the same would be thus easier to position and imbedded messaging delivered with ease

Carefully curate data that aligns with your strategic objectives and supports your storyline. Ensure accuracy, relevance, and reliability in the data chosen to strengthen the credibility of your narrative.

There is a common mistake of reporting only outcome metrics and not the factors that influence them. Focusing solely on outcomes can lead to criticism that research and analytics teams are merely looking backward. This criticism is partially valid. The key data are likely the factors driving the outcomes, measured over time. By analyzing these factors as a time series, we can make more reliable predictions and counter arguments that research is not forward-looking. Some people like to point out that correlation does not equal causation when examining analytics. Employ advanced modeling techniques to confirm cause and effect to safeguard your work from this criticism.

In my experience, data can be a double-edged sword. It's thrilling to find those perfect numbers that back up your point, but sometimes the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. Be choosy. The data has to truly measure what it says it does, or it's just smoke and mirrors.

Data is not always helpful. Having a lot of data can sometimes prove to be worse than having too little data. The purpose of data is to provide a strong proof to our hypothesis. If you are in the audience, what would you rather prefer to see: 1) 2-3 metrics or data points that are mutually exclusive which clearly prove the hypothesis 2) 7-8 metrics that prove the hypothesis but along the same dimension. E.g., Proving that revenue has grown and costs have gone down automatically mean the profits will increase. Hence, profit becomes a redundant data point adding no value. I am sure that most of us would like option 1 for the mere fact that is it simple to absorb while clearly driving home the important message.

Tailor your storytelling approach, incl how to use which data, based on the needs, interests, and values of your audience, and your call-to-action: what do you want your audience to do, feel or think? Take two extremes: senior business executives vs. data scientists. While accuracy and relevance of your data are essential in both cases, the storytelling approach should be different. For business executives, focus on strategic implications and high-level insights. Highlight how the data impacts organizational goals, drives decisions, and supports business objectives. For data scientists, emphasize technical details, methodologies, and data validity. Provide in-depth explanations, thorough analysis, and evidence of rigorous data handling.

Strategic storytelling is the art of purposeful narrative for organizational goals. It needs aim. Achieving goals demands people. People are moved by stories. Data lends the story weight and credibility. That's the sequence. This is why step #2, at #2, is a mistake. The story needs to come before the data. Craft your narrative after defining your goals and knowing your audience, and only after this do you select your data. Else, you get a story that may even be good, but not strategic.

Choosing the right data doesn't mean cherry-picking only those that support our agenda. Instead, it involves selecting data that provide correct information and are relevant to our goals. Additionally, the source and validity of the data are important. Qualitative data, based on opinions, require validation to ensure their accuracy. For quantitative data, it is crucial to ensure the data is accurate and clean.

Choosing the right data in strategic storytelling involves several key steps. Firstly, identify the specific objectives and target audience to tailor the narrative effectively. Next, gather data that aligns with the story's purpose and supports its central message. Ensure the data is accurate, relevant, and credible, considering sources and potential biases. Simplify complex data for audience comprehension, emphasizing key insights that drive the narrative forward. Finally, integrate data seamlessly into the storytelling process, using visuals or anecdotes to enhance engagement. By following these steps, storytellers can select data that strengthens their narrative and resonates with their audience.

As we celebrate the democratization and accessibility of drag-and-drop data visualization tools like PowerBI, Tableau, and Google Data Studio, it's crucial to adopt a 'less is more' mindset in data visualization. Simple, clear charts often have the greatest impact, allowing users to grasp the information in just a couple of seconds. If your audience needs more time to understand your chart, there's a risk they might overlook it altogether. Prioritizing simplicity and clarity ensures your data communicates effectively and efficiently.

Transform raw data into compelling visuals such as charts, graphs, and infographics. Visualization enhances comprehension and retention, making complex information more accessible to diverse audiences.

Visualizing data is a key practice in strategic storytelling as it transforms complex information into digestible visuals, enhancing comprehension and engagement. It allows stakeholders to grasp trends, patterns, and insights at a glance, facilitating informed decision-making and compelling narrative creation.

While some executives would prefer to discuss topics without the use of graphics, many process new information visually. Leaders may prefer you to send your material in advance. They will commit the time to studying it so they can spend their time with you discussing the implications. This means that your work must stand alone and tell the story without your voice over. So, know your audience. The quality of executive communications has reached a point where publication quality graphics are the expectation. Closely study the work of Edward Tufte, Gene Zelazny, and Dona Wong. As you master this craft, reverse engineer the graphics that appear in the McKinsey Quarterly, the Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

To sharpen your craft, study the masters of visual-data narratives. Assess how they distill complex information into simple, powerful images. Break down great examples: What makes them work? Is it the simplicity, the color contrast, the way data points tell a story? Try recreating them with your data, refining until the story shines through clearly, without a word wasted. One recommendation: follow Tomas Pueyo on Twitter and Substack. His stories, married to striking data visuals, are lessons in themselves. Observe his technique, the clarity and impact of his visuals. In this craft, doing teaches. Analyze, then act.

Data can indeed become overwhelming and boring if presented in a raw or complex format. Raw data lacks context and can be difficult to interpret, leading to confusion and disinterest among audiences. Similarly, complex data presentations, such as dense tables or intricate charts, can intimidate or overwhelm viewers, detracting from the message's clarity. To engage and effectively communicate insights, data should be presented in a clear, concise, and visually appealing manner. Summarizing key findings, using intuitive visualizations, and providing context help make data more accessible and compelling, fostering better understanding and decision-making.

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." This Steve Jobs principle applies to presentations and data visualization as well. What is your call-to-action? What do you want your audience to do, think, or feel? Your key messages should be clear within seconds, guiding your audience’s attention as intended. Use colors, fonts, icons, and slide placement strategically. The Z-pattern of eye movement remains effective. I like to balance traditional tables and charts with creative data visualizations. Start with a visually engaging slide highlighting one key message or data point, then follow with detailed information in a traditional format. Avoid overdoing creative visuals—less is more.

Visualizing data in strategic storytelling involves selecting relevant data points and presenting them graphically to enhance understanding and engagement. Begin by identifying key insights and determining the most suitable visualization techniques such as charts, graphs, or infographics. Ensure visual consistency and clarity to convey complex information effectively. Integrate visuals seamlessly into the narrative flow, using them to support key points and create emotional resonance. Tailor the visual presentation to the audience's preferences and cognitive abilities, maximizing impact and facilitating comprehension. Ultimately, strategic data visualization enhances storytelling by making information accessible, memorable, & persuasive.

Start with the end in mind. Before you start your story, decide what the 1-2 things you want people to remember will be. Often, people will try to tell a story that encompasses all of their data - rather than the most useful or meaningful pieces. To select what the most useful/meaningful data is, consider: 1. What decisions are you trying to influence / does your audience need to make? 2. What are the most powerful/compelling data points that will influence these decisions? 3. What will your audience find 'useful'; and what will they find 'interesting'? Focus on the useful data and minimize that which is merely 'interesting' (or include in the appendix)

Transform data into a coherent and compelling story that contextualizes the numbers within the broader organizational strategy. A narrative framework creates emotional connections and enhances memorability.

Data Storytelling is important for the following reasons: Impactful Communication: Data storytelling puts insights into context and inspires action. It bridges the gap between raw data and meaningful understanding. Psychological Power: Humans have used storytelling for survival and recording daily life since ancient times. A well-told story engages emotions and captures attention. So, know your audience, present your findings, and conclude with a specific call to action.

Learning from top strategic thinkers, i came into conclusion that leveraging data and insight requires relatable and strong storyline. For those who are savvy with numbers, it is best to start with glancing thru the data and coming up with storyline first before going into detailed data analysis to extract data supporting the storyline and key takeaways.

Using metaphors or analogies to explain complex concepts. Weaving human stories into the data can add an emotional connection for the audience, making the information more relatable and memorable. This approach can truly elevate your strategic storytelling from informative to impactful.

Data without a story is just noise. Create a narrative that weaves your data points together in a way that feels intuitive. Guide your audience from problem to solution, and let the data act as the evidence that makes your case undeniable.

Another best practice in using data and evidence for strategic storytelling is to incorporate the human element. For example, a company's annual report states that the employee turnover rate was 10%. That's fine. However, it is more effective to express the statement in a way that establishes a deeper connection with the audience. For instance, you could say that for every 10 employees in our workforce, only one left the company. So, rather than reeling about statistical facts about your data, simple analogies could be employed for the same purpose. That way, you tell a memorable story infused with data.

Some reflections on good data stories: • Always align the story to strategic objectives • Emotion resonates: deliver impact, reveal profound truths • Use a universal theme: elevate the goal to life’s grand narrative, transformation as a motif • Protagonist: make them real, an echo of the audience • Conflict is vital, stories need formidable barriers for engagement • Utilize narrative structures, symbolism, distinct voice, and delve into the psyche for even greater storytelling

Uphold ethical standards by ensuring data accuracy, transparency, and privacy. Respect confidentiality and comply with relevant regulations and ethical guidelines when handling sensitive information.

Maintaining authenticity and ethical standards is indispensable for building trust and sustainability in business endeavors. Adhering to principles of transparency, integrity, and respect in handling data safeguards not only the credibility of your storytelling but also the integrity of your business practices.

Let's ditch the spin and manipulation tactics. I seen so many companies used it but let's say most people can smell BS immediately. On the other hand, when we use data ethically, we can craft compelling stories that respect people and paint an accurate picture. It's about giving credit where it's due, acknowledging the whole story, and using evidence to empower, not mislead. That's how we build trust and create real impact.

There is no excuse to lie with data. It's easy to do--that's why explaining your assumptions, citing your sources, methodology, and how you came to your conclusion are ways to build trust. Simple infographics, explained clearly, with plain language "So what?" explained on each data slide. There are millions of ways to interpret data, so explain your bottom line. They can disagree, yet they will understand how you got there though. And you can answer why you are correct. Statistics and damn statistics, right? Build to the answer transparently, and answer questions honestly. That's the ethical use of data.

Ethical use of data in strategic storytelling involves several key principles. This requires obtaining data through transparent and lawful means, respecting individuals' privacy rights. Data should be accurately interpreted and presented, avoiding misleading or manipulative narratives. Consent and anonymity should be prioritized when using personal data. Additionally, it's crucial to consider the potential impact of storytelling on individuals and communities, ensuring it promotes inclusivity, diversity, and social responsibility. By upholding these ethical standards, strategic storytellers can build trust, credibility, and positive relationships with their audiences while responsibly leveraging data to convey meaningful narratives.

The use of data in strategic storytelling not only enriches narratives but also bears the weight of ethical responsibility. Upholding standards of accuracy, transparency, and privacy is paramount to maintain trust and integrity. The importance of respecting confidentiality and complying with regulatory and ethical frameworks when weaving sensitive information into stories is paramount. Such practices are not mere formalities but the backbone of credible and ethical storytelling. They ensure that our narratives are not only compelling but also conscientiously crafted, reflecting the due diligence owed to the data and those behind it.

Integrity in data usage is non-negotiable. My Harvard training in operational strategy and extensive academic background emphasize the importance of ethical considerations. I ensure data accuracy, avoid cherry-picking or misrepresenting data, and respect privacy norms. Ethical storytelling builds trust and credibility, essential for long-term success and maintaining professional integrity in strategic narratives.

ntegrity in data usage is non-negotiable. My Harvard training in operational strategy and extensive academic background emphasize the importance of ethical considerations. I ensure data accuracy, avoid cherry-picking or misrepresenting data, and respect privacy norms. Ethical storytelling builds trust and credibility, essential for long-term success and maintaining professional integrity in strategic narratives.

Before presenting your narrative, gather feedback from a representative sample of your audience and refine your story accordingly. Iterative testing ensures clarity, persuasiveness, and resonance.

Having a group of volunteers and stalwart donors who you know will share true thoughts is a great way to refine. However, when dealing with very large audiences, there are numerous technologies available to assess engagement behavior and understand what messages are resonating. Even something as simple as looking at open and click thru rates when generating an e-communication, looking at comments and re-shares of social media posts provide insight. It's really about mission focus and sharing first-hand impact.

Use best practices of iterative prototyping to test and refine: • Emply Storyboarding: visualize changes, ensure flow and coherence • Use your team as "Focus groups": in-depth insights pretending to be the target audience • Refine it openly: share early versions, observe reactions, improve • Use A/B testing: present two versions, measure which resonates more • Iterate quickly: refinement has to be a rapid cycle of testing, feedback, improvement

Continuous improvement is key. Leveraging my operational strategy expertise from Harvard and iterative project experience, I test and refine stories. Gathering feedback from diverse audiences, assessing their understanding and engagement, and making necessary adjustments is essential. This iterative process ensures the strategic narrative remains relevant, clear, and compelling, ultimately enhancing its impact and effectiveness.

Continuous improvement is key. Leveraging my operational strategy expertise from Harvard and iterative project experience, I test and refine stories. Gathering feedback from diverse audiences, assessing their understanding and engagement, and making necessary adjustments is essential. This iterative process ensures the strategic narrative remains relevant, clear, and compelling, ultimately enhancing its impact and effectiveness.

It is best practice to test and refine your story before presenting it to the public. 3 easy steps to take: - Present/Walk through your story with key individuals within your organization who will use or market the materials to clients. Make sure everyone agrees and is aligned. - Present early versions to trusted partnering clients that will give you feedback. - Use your strategy or insight team as a sounding board. They have either the same or more experience as you and can show you the ropes. This could even lead to mentorships.

- Ensure data accessibility for all stakeholders, including those with varying levels of data literacy. - Clearly articulate data sources, methodologies, and any limitations to foster transparency and trust. - Maintain consistency and coherence throughout the narrative to avoid confusion or misinterpretation. - Incorporate mechanisms for updating data and insights to reflect evolving circumstances and maintain relevance over time.

Beyond the core practices, it's essential to prioritize data accessibility, considering diverse audience needs. Be mindful of cognitive and cultural biases in data interpretation and presentation. Engage subject matter experts to ensure comprehensive data analysis and interpretation. Lastly, maintain a forward-looking approach, staying abreast of emerging technologies and methodologies to enhance storytelling effectiveness.

It is important to: -ensure your ppt/visual representation tells a story without you needing to present it -customize your message for different stakeholders -incorporate real-world examples to illustrate points -ensure your data narrative aligns with your overall business strategy

Creo que es una buena idea combinar datos cuantitativos y cualitativos: Además de los datos cuantitativos, considera también el uso de evidencia cualitativa, como testimonios o estudios de caso, para enriquecer tu narrativa estratégica y proporcionar una comprensión más completa de la situación.

Strategic storytelling with data is an art and a science. Like cooking, it requires creativity, precision, and a dash of intuition. As you craft your stories, remember that data is a powerful tool, but it's the human touch that makes them truly impactful. So, put on your chef's hat, gather your ingredients, and cook up a story that will leave your audience craving more!

I found that adding an appendix that is easily accessible and is clear in defining calculations or ways of coming up with the data to be helpful. Adding in any type of other documentation or linking to some sort of playbook also gives more context to those with varying levels of data literacy.

Beyond data analysis & interpretation, it's essential to highlight key recomendations with clear action steps, while maintaining a consistent narrative.

Consider the broader context and potential future developments in strategic storytelling. My Harvard operational strategy education and extensive consulting experience suggest a forward-thinking approach. I anticipate market trends, technological advancements, and policy changes. Incorporating scenario planning and risk assessments prepares for uncertainties. This comprehensive perspective ensures the strategic story is not only relevant today but also resilient and adaptable for the future.