Crafting Narratives for Data Storytelling - Jeff Nieman - Making Better Decisions - Episode #39

Today, Ryan interviews Jeff Nieman, Senior Director of Data Strategy and Visualization at Best Buy. Jeff shares his extensive experience in data governance, data literacy, and AI's role in improving data cataloging and storytelling. He emphasizes the importance of trust in data, creating accessible data catalogs, and achieving balance in data strategy to ensure ROI. Jeff also sheds light on the concept of proactive data analytics and predictive modeling, underscoring the need for strong business partnerships and a thorough understanding of business contexts to maximize data utilization effectively.

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize Data Trust and Accessibility: Develop an easy-to-navigate data catalog to make data sources easily searchable and accessible.
• Harness AI for Efficiency: Use AI tools to automate and streamline data cataloging and metadata creation processes.
• Utilize Storytelling Techniques: Develop data visualizations and dashboards that not only present data but also tell compelling stories that are easy to understand.
• Cultural Change from the Top: Ensure executive leadership is educated on the value and potential of data analytics.
• Quantify the Value of Analytics: Tie predictive models and analytics projects directly to business outcomes and financial performance.

Quote of the Show:

• “ It's not just enough to get good data. You have to know how to understand the data. How to better tell the story, how to better help people become literate and fluent in the area of the data.” - Jeff Nieman

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreynieman/ 
• Website: https://www.bestbuy.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PpvYXoXjAYl8auDpmShYi 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-better-decisions-leaders-in-data/id1739178505 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5e2ec300-0c66-4e24-8b01-0586af60235c/making-better-decisions-leaders-in-data 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/making-better-decisions-leader-5672586 
• Transistor: https://www.makingbetterdecisions.live/episodes 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakingBetterDecisions/podcasts