Information Revolution: Business Leaders to Build an Insightful Culture

Becoming information-savvy has become a critical goal for companies aiming to stay competitive. The challenge lies in seamlessly integrating and leveraging information across the organization, a task even digital natives like Airbnb, Netflix, and Uber have grappled with. The key to success? Building an insightful culture.

An insightful culture empowers everyone within an organization to work with information, regardless of their expertise. The benefits are profound, ranging from improved agility to expedited insight-driven decision making at all levels. For business leaders looking to make this shift, drawing insights from both digital natives and successful incumbents provides a valuable roadmap.

Here are five pillars to empower employees in their move towards a more insightful culture:

1. Broaden information access through information catalogs and marketplaces

Ensure employees have access to the information they need by setting up platforms like information catalogs. These tools provide a library-like experience, allowing employees to browse, request access, and break down information silos. Airbnb’s Dataportal is a notable example, replicating the company’s information ecosystem for seamless information discovery.

2. Stimulate the generation of insight-driven outputs through self-service

Empower employees to create their own reports and insights with self-service tools. Uber’s self-service analytics platform is designed for both experts and less technical individuals, fostering a culture where information informs all decisions.

3. Level up information literacy with specific curricula

Identify roles that need to be comfortable with information and tailor training programs to personas or role families. Airbnb’s Information University offers training across three proficiency levels, ensuring employees across different archetypes gain the necessary information awareness, collection, and visualization skills.

4. Advance information practices by creating communities

Establish information communities around shared interests, tools, or business problems to promote learning and collaboration. Netflix and Airbnb have successfully used forums and working groups to support information quality initiatives and encourage knowledge-sharing among information experts.

5. Promote information through various corporate communication channels

Increase employee confidence and stimulate demand for information by promoting it through corporate events, newsletters, podcasts, and other channels. Designate information champions as ambassadors to locally advocate for information value within business teams.

As information permeates every aspect of business, managers are called upon to leverage it effectively. Building an insightful culture requires coordinated efforts and intentional addressing of the five pillars. This roadmap provides business leaders with a guide to successfully integrate information into all corners of their organization, fostering an insight-driven culture that propels them ahead in the information revolution.