Dive Brief:
- More than half — or 56% — of data and analytics leaders say their teams are ineffective at providing value to their organizations, according to a Gartner survey published Tuesday. The analyst firm surveyed more than 550 data leaders at the end of 2022.
- Data and analytics leaders blame skills and staff shortages for blocking their efforts, the top obstacle for 1 in 5 respondents. Lack of resources or funding and culture challenges are also top roadblocks.
- Despite the barriers to skill building, as well as the broader challenges to finding technology talent, 44% of D&A leaders say their teams grew in the last year.
Dive Insight:
With more digital systems surrounding operations, companies have more data than they can handle.
Cloud migrations are partially to blame. With a more cloud-based technology stack, nearly three-quarters of organizations are struggling with data management, a Coleman Parkes survey found in September.
With data skills as a key driver to project execution, leaders can look inward to develop the talent they need. But hiring or upskilling is just the start.
"Becoming a data-driven enterprise requires explicit and persistent organizational change management to achieve measurable business outcomes," said Alan Duncan, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, in an email.
Chief data and analytics officers need to tackle data literacy while building culture at their companies, according to Duncan.
For success in change management, Duncan said chief data and analytics officers can:
- Sell the desired business change by communicating aspirational and inspirational SMART — specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound — benefits for the organization and individual stakeholders.
- Educate stakeholders by providing specific and targeted data literacy training in the capabilities that the workforce needs to be successful.
- Deliver the changed business state by executing programs of data and analytics, while adapting the messaging for stakeholders according to their cultural readiness to engage.
Despite the skills shortages, organizations are tasking their chief data and analytics officers with a broad range of responsibilities, the survey found. These C-suite leaders must define and implement data strategies, create data and analytics governance and manage a data-driven culture change.
