Data Storytelling 1 – Compelling Narratives
Today’s business professionals are swimming in an endless sea of data. This course provides a guide to translate good data into understandable, actionable insight using a narrative structure.
Participants will walk through the process of crafting a compelling data narrative, starting with exploratory analysis and moving into explanatory analysis that is clear to your audience. Time-tested narrative structures will be drawn from to communicate complex information in a way that resonates with decision-makers and leads to action. Practical exercises using financial data will reinforce concepts for learners.
There are no prerequisites for this course, though a familiarity with good data analysis and charting techniques (from “Excel 1: Core Data Analysis”, “Excel 2: Advanced Data Analysis” or “Excel 3: Dynamic Dashboarding”) would be helpful.
This course requires 4 hours.
Learning Topics
Exploratory vs. Explanatory Data Analysis
- Learn to separate the data for analysis versus the data used to communicate that insight
- Apply exploratory analysis to identify key data drivers in a data sample
Understand Your Audience, Personalize the Message
- Learn to create and ask questions for your audience to create presentations that stimulate action and response
- Demonstrate the benefits of adding a persona to your data to create stories that resonate
Creating Impactful Narrative Structures
- Explore historical storytelling frameworks and how they help us make compelling data stories
- Craft a compelling data storytelling “arc” that takes readers through carefully designed narrative stages:
- The Setup: describe the current situation and “hook” the audience
- The Breadcrumbs: data points that develop the plot and create tension
- The Aha Moment: The major finding or central insight
- The Action Plan: Next steps & solutions to prompt action from decision-makers
- Employ techniques to deal with the impatient decision-maker
- Understand how compelling stories can help to overcome resistance or entrenched “myths” and corporate cultural “blind spots”