A data team is nothing if it doesn’t have the business on its side. Most data users, as well as those handing out the budget for instance, will not be data professionals. This is why a very large part of a data team’s role is to raise awareness around the data function in order to secure the necessary tools to do their job, and to limit silos and promote governance. However, since a lot of the CDO’s role also takes place behind the scenes, ROI is particularly difficult to prove. Many CDOs for this reason have been using stories or analogies to explain the value of data and to prove its importance in the wider business for, as time has shown, data initiatives are useless if they are not backed by people.

-   Learn to prioritize the “people” in “people, processes, technology” and understand individual departments’ priorities and processes to equip yourself with the best story for them

-   Discuss key ways to demonstrate data’s value, including training sessions, workshops, or listening corners, to hear people’s struggles and offer data-driven solutions

-   Weigh in on what the board needs to hear from you and devise a strategy accordingly to secure buy in and budget