Having Better Conversations about Data: Tips for Social Enterprises
The Data Conversation led a practical webinar exploring how social enterprises can feel more confident and capable when working with data. With tips, tools and analogies to ease data anxiety, the session offered a friendly entry point to building a data-informed culture, regardless of organisational size, experience or starting point.
Summary
This webinar explores how social enterprises can improve their data practice over time in practical, achievable ways, including:
- Why data matters across all areas of a social enterprise, from finances and operations to storytelling and decision-making.
- Reframing data collection and analysis using the “garden bed” analogy, reminding us that data work is cyclical, seasonal, and can grow over time.
- Five top tips to improve data practice:
- Treat data like planting a garden bed, not building a garden shed. Cultivate it gradually rather than trying to do everything at once.
- Think through the full data cycle. Plan, collect, manage, analyse, share, use, and return to planning.
- Add a spoonful of sugar. Make data processes more meaningful, motivating and enjoyable for staff, customers and funders.
- Adapt your language to your audience. Use clear, accessible language for different stakeholders and reporting contexts.
- Make the most of what you already have. Build on existing platforms, processes and resources before investing in new ones.
- Strategies for collecting data that is useful, relevant, and respectful, particularly when working with communities or sensitive information.
- Reflections on embedding data into everyday operations through small changes, regular reflection, and aligning data with decision-making needs.
- Shift culture towards normalising discussion of data challenges, learning from peers, and resourcing data work just like legal or financial services.
Show notes and quotes
Tara Spokes: “...if you're small, just start small with your data …make sure you start with what you already have.”
“It's one thing to be sharing your data, but are you actively using it for your own decision-making? To be using your own data means that you're making use of the insights that you have from your data to improve your services and business. They're helping you to achieve your goals.”
“Missing data can help you spot where you might need to improve your messaging, your processes or even your business relationships.”
“Reducing those barriers for the user can include both tech and time. Keep the tech simple to use, easy to find, and the length of time needed as small as possible.”
Ruth Pitt: “Start with where you're at, start with what you've got and start small.”
“We think it's really important to normalise and acknowledge that everyone is learning, everyone is improving, and you are absolutely not alone if you're having data challenges.”
“That funding opportunity is a risk if you haven't factored in the future work that you'll need to do to; review the data, review the database, make sure your data is clean, make sure the database meets your current needs and keep everything useful. Data is never set and forget…”
“...it will be about shifting the culture of your social enterprise towards a culture of data, and that cannot happen overnight.”
“I know that organisations feel pressured to provide data, but if you try to approach data with a sense of curiosity and growth, rather than rush and anxiety, it'll be a much better process.”
Explore more
For those who are keen to dive deeper and do differently, here are some links to learnings and resources mentioned by the speakers and/or related to the open learning topic:
We’d love to hear from you!
Reach out to one of our team members, and share input and ideas about how we can evolve Understorey.
Get in touch