Why Becoming Data-Driven Is Harder Than It Looks

Most leaders are coming to a consensus: in today’s world, data is crucial for better decision-making. However, despite widespread investment in tools and infrastructure, few organizations would claim that they’re truly data-driven.

Why? Because the biggest barriers have little to do with technology.

“Just because you start to collect data doesn’t mean you will continue,” says Dmitri Adler, Co-Founder of Data Society. “It’s also very difficult to not make decisions with your gut.”

Adler is pointing to a common challenge: successful leaders often rely on intuition because it’s what they are used to. Overriding that instinct with empirical analysis can feel uncomfortable, even risky, but it’s a necessary shift for organizations seeking to stay competitive.

“You have to break the mental barrier of ‘my instincts are correct’ and know that sometimes you just have to close your eyes and go with the data,” Adler says.

LEARN MORE: What It Really Means to Be Data-Driven

When Instincts Outweigh Insights

Gut-based decisions may feel safer in the moment, especially in high-stakes environments. But they’re also why startups and challengers often outpace entrenched organizations. “That’s how we have up-and-comers come out of nowhere and dominate industries that were seemingly well-established,” Adler notes.

The lesson: trust the data even when it feels counterintuitive. It will lead you in the right direction to sustain performance.

Culture Eats Data Strategy for Breakfast

Many companies approach data transformation through onboarding new tools, hiring analysts, and then expect the culture to follow. As Adler puts it, “Being data-driven doesn’t just mean that you hire a consulting firm. It means you are thoughtful about your communication strategy and build it into your deployment. It’s continuous.”

For change to take root, communication must be:
– Consistent: Regular messaging from leaders about how data supports mission and decision-making.
– Integrated: Paralleled with performance management, promotions, and professional development.
– Mission-driven: Connected to goals that your employees care about.

In other words, the message has to resonate with the day-to-day reality of the people doing the work.

MUST READ: Data Literacy vs. Data Fluency: Understanding the Key Differences

Everyone Thinks They’re Behind

According to Adler, almost every client he speaks to believes they’re behind. “Everyone says the same thing: ‘We’re so far behind.’” But in reality, most organizations are in the same boat – working through the same challenges at different speeds.

True innovation doesn’t require perfection. It requires progress. That progress is often fueled by internal champions, the people who model data-informed behavior for their colleagues, advocate for tools and training, and help bridge the data-driven gap between teams.

“Point solutions are ultimately easy to acquire,” Adler explains. “But making that system work together and having the internal championship to sustain it is the hard part.”

Make Data Personal

Perhaps most importantly, Adler reminds us that transformation only works when it benefits the people involved. That means tying data to both the mission and individual growth.

“You need to explain what being data-driven means to your organization, how it affects performance, and how it fits into people’s career trajectories,” he says. “If you do that well, people will want to stay. They’ll want to contribute.”

When people understand how data literacy can accelerate their career or help them serve their community more effectively they begin to internalize the value. From there, real change begins.

Is your team looking to break through the culture barriers and finally become data-driven?

Data Society helps organizations create a culture of data literacy and true data-driven decision making that drives transformation. Contact us to learn more.

Q&A: Why Becoming Data-Driven Is Harder Than It Looks — And What to Do About It