S5 | Ep 16 | Building a Data Confident Organisation with Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University

In Episode 16, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University, where they discuss the comprehensive programme they've executed to help them build a truly data confident organisation, which includes;The implications of covid on the higher education sectorHow her non-data/technical background has helped her to a better CDOWhy you have to be a strong salesperson as a CDOWhy you shouldn’t be using the ‘D’ worldBuilding a data confident workforce instead of a literate or fluent oneEstablishing 54 measures of success for the organisationDeveloping data products to measure the measures of successIgnoring conventional wisdom and thinking big but also starting bigThe importance of tailoring the language of the data confidence programme to something the organisation would understandThe key components of the programme and the major benefits and challenges experiencedThe learnings from attempting to personalise the programmeCreating pathwaysEmbedding data confidence requirements into the recruitment process for non-data rolesTips on building advocacy and creating championsWhy training should be the last thing you doWhy timing is key when thinking about the training component of these programmesWhy it’s important that you have the correct foundations to deliver a data confidence programmeThe qualitative and quantitative measures of success of a data confidence programmeThe power of true business partnering to improve data productsMeasuring lead indicators to quantify business outcomesThanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.