Workshops are designed to introduce your organization to the principles of working with data, and integrating data with decision-making.  The focus is building data literacy.  Since each organization is unique, I customize workshop content to suit your organizational context.  At the same time, while organizations do vary substantially in their use of data, many of the underlying principles for working with data are the same.

WORKSHOP AIMS

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Most people have fears when it comes to working with data.  Data analysis seems like a task for highly trained data scientists, or for machines.  It's true that the scale and scope of data can be intimating, and not all of us can be or want to be "data heads".  But data doesn't have to be so scary.

At its heart, data literacy is the ability to pose relevant questions and look for answers using available information.  This is a key 21st century skill that all of us would do well to develop.

In workshops, I aim to balance theory, examples, and interactive elements to create an engaging experience.  It's great when we can cover practical problems with real and immediate relevance.  My goal is for participants to connect concepts to their work, and leave feeling less afraid of data and more empowered to work with it.

CONTENT COVERED
1) What is data (what are data)?
  • A (very) brief history of data
  • Quantitative vs. qualitative data (is one better?)
  • Data that measures vs. data that informs

2) What does it meant to be data driven?
  • The difference between "truth" and data - observation vs. interpretation
  • A top-down approach to working with data
  • Data as one component of our guidance system
  • Developing a spirit of inquiry​
3) How do we use data effectively (to bring about the change we desire)?
  • Seven (highly effective) principles for working with data

​4) Training your data intuition
  • Where our intuition fails us: short-circuits and biases
  • Where our intuition supports us: honing our judgment
Have questions?  Interested in learning more?