Six steps to turn data into actions

In this episode of Datadrivet, Joni Lindgren and Jasmin Yaya talk to Johan Johansson, Senior Strategist at Carat, about how to move from looking at data to actually acting on it. Johan is openly passionate about analysis and recently launched a course, “Förbättra ditt analytiska tänkande,” on Framgångsakademin, with the goal of making Sweden more analytical.

He starts with three pillars any effective organization needs: people, processes, and tools. His sharpest point is on the middle one. The smartest investment an organization can make is “a process that forces you to become data-driven.” Good intentions fade; a process holds.

The core of the episode is a step-by-step framework for working more analytically.

• Step 0, set clear goals. Define what you are trying to achieve and how you will measure it.
• Step 1, make data-based observations. Move from opinion to objective observations backed by data.
• Step 2, turn observations into insights. Explain why something is a problem so others grasp it both intellectually and emotionally.
• Step 3, propose actions. Suggest solutions that build on the prior thinking and on general recommendations.
• Step 4, show the impact. Explain the likely effect and how you would measure it, and frame hypotheses for the backlog and business plan so work can be prioritized.
• Step 5, assign ownership. Make sure the right people and decision-makers settle who does what.
• Step 6, follow up and measure results. Decide who tracks progress, on what timeline, and what success looks like.

The takeaway is that data only becomes action when each step has an owner and a measure attached. Skip the goal at the start or the follow-up at the end, and the analysis stays a slide deck.

Listen to the full episode of Datadrivet for Johan’s full walkthrough of the six steps.