What you need to know

People collect more data than ever. Some figures show that 90% of all data collected has been collected in the last two years and is constantly increasing. There was never time when data literacy was more important.

More, Forrester study he ordered Tableau He concluded that data literacy did not keep up with a huge expansion of data collection. Regardless of the work you have, you could do it better by using the data, so that improvement of data literacy should be a goal on the list of all for 2025.

What is data literacy?

Basically, data literacy is the ability to understand and work with data. The higher the level of data literacy, the better in the analysis and the decision -based decisions. Forrester study defines it as “possessing the skills needed to understand, research, use, make decisions and communicate using data.”

Why is data literacy important for merchants?

Mark Twain once said, “There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics.” Correctly invites the incredible compelling power of data, but at the same time regrets that it can be abused – intentionally or unintentionally.

Through my career, I have witnessed that people accidentally draw irregular conclusions from analyzes and sometimes intentionally manipulate analysis to improve their agenda. Consider the old technique of buying a four -square -foot car in which the seller deliberately confuses the customer by changing four metrics several times to ensure that they maximize the price you pay for the car.

There is no job of more written data than the casinos in which each game is structured so that with time the house always wins. Even if you are just an analysis consumer, you need to have a sufficient level of data literacy to ask the right questions and be aware of the usual traps.

For employers, Forrester Study invites employee retention as a key reason to improve data literacy in your organization.

• Almost 80% of employees said they were more likely to remain in a company that trained them in the data skills they needed.
• Unfortunately, less than half of the study employees said they were offered such training at their company, although 70% of employees must greatly use data in their roles.

In combination with the benefits that were found with high -literacy of data, which included “increased innovation, greater customer experience, better decision -making, reduced costs and increased income”, there is no doubt that data literacy has a place in your company.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of data illiteracy that results when we fail to build our data abilities. Forrester identified them as:

• Slow decision -making.
• Inability to make correct decisions.
• Lack of innovation.
• Reduced productivity.
• Inability to execute fundamental jobs/tasks.
• Failure against competition.
• Does not fulfill the goals of the department.
• Risk of losing employee.
• If you do not respond to disorders competing for customers.
• Bad customer experience.
• Poor reputation of the employer brand.

If these sound close to home, improvement of your organization’s data literacy is urgent.

You are deeper: How to promote data literacy in your marketing team

How is data literacy be built?

Internet courses and self-self-self

If you are just starting, the content of internet training is one of the easiest ways to build data literacy. There are many courses available and each hosted different learning styles. For someone who needs a general, high -level data literacy, these are great places to start.

Training guided by instructors and classrooms

For a structural learning experience, training in the classroom with an instructor can be very effective. Many universities now offer diplomas and certificates in data analysis and related topics for someone looking for more advanced or depth training.

Customized training for organizations

Companies that want to improve the literacy of employees data can benefit from training under the guidance of advisers, adapted to their specific needs. Unlike in general, courses based on theory, custom training focuses on practical skills relevant to work, which makes it more attractive and immediately more effective. This improves learning outcomes and serves as a valuable activity to build a team.

Learning through practice

Many people become written data simply working with data. A great way to start is to monitor something seemingly simple, such as personal spending, in the budget table. Although the download of bank statements is simple, deciding how to categorize costs requires critical thinking.

What actions will you take on the basis of this information? If your goal is to reduce discretional consumption, you will need to define what qualify. Do friends count for dinner as fun (discretion) or meals (necessary)? What will you do with the money you save: take a holiday or invest it? How much will you need to afford that holiday?

Even something as simple like monitoring your consumption forces you to consider concepts of key literacy information without understanding it.

Literacy is key to improving performance in almost any field of 2025. With more information available than ever before, the possibility of working with it is as important as nutrition and exercise for overall well -being. There is no better time than now starting or continuing your way to become written data.

You are deeper: Data Literary-key to correct the C-Suite Trust deficit