As data becomes increasingly central to the business strategy, the expectations of data teams are shifting. They’re no longer just enablers; they’re expected to influence, initiate and lead. But influence doesn’t come from being right; it comes from being heard. And that’s where communication emerges as a core skill.
When data professionals rely on someone else to pitch their ideas, the edge is lost, writes professor Yudhvir Seetharam, head of analytics, insights and research at FNB Business
Explaining technical work isn’t enough anymore – now, it’s about having the ability to persuade. To stand in front of decision-makers and turn raw analysis into a compelling business or strategic argument.
Today, the data team must spot opportunities before anyone asks for them and be able to sell the value of those opportunities with clarity and conviction. After all, you can have the most accurate model in the room, but if no one understands it or, worse, if no one listens to you, it’s irrelevant.
Many organisations still rely too heavily on the translator function – someone to relay instructions from business to data and then back again. It’s inefficient and it limits potential, particularly when critical insights get diluted or lost entirely. When a data professional has to rely on someone else to pitch their ideas, the edge is lost.
There’s still an odd imbalance in many companies: non-technical teams can weigh in on AI and automation, but when data scientists comment on customer experience or product strategy, it’s often seen as overstepping.
This bias is costing companies. The people closest to the data often see what no one else can, catching shifts and identifying opportunities, or risks, before the business does. But unless they’re invited to be part of the business or strategy conversation, and equipped with the communication skills needed to be able to hold their own in that conversation, those valuable insights often never surface.
There are levels to this. At the most basic one, every data professional should be able to clearly explain what they’ve built and why it matters. That’s the entry point.
Then comes the ability to contextualise, to speak the language of the business and connect technical output to strategic objectives. But the real leap happens when data professionals stop waiting for questions and start proposing solutions.
Not just answers – real business building ideas. Proactive, well-framed, evidence-backed concepts that can change the direction of a conversation. This ability to shift from explanation to proposition is where true leadership starts.
This isn’t about making every data team member a TED speaker. But at least one or two must be able—and empowered—to represent the team in strategic conversations.
Interestingly, in most organisations the hurdles to such proactive data insights aren’t structural; they’re cultural. You can decentralise, integrate and flatten organisational charts as much as you like, but if the culture still tells data teams to wait for instructions, they are always going to be a largely untapped resource.
Integration and inclusion are not reporting line actions, they’re a mindset – and that mindset has to cut both ways.