Tuesdays, 10am - 12pm

September 14th - October 19, 2021

Using Data to Make Powerful Decisions

Advances in computing power have led to a massive explosion in the amount of data available for analysis.  But many businesses don’t take advantage of the opportunities for analyzing their data, and miss out on opportunities to improve their bottom line.  

This series covers an introduction to analytics and  common analytics tools and methods, providing  today’s professionals with an understanding of what it means to lead with data while actively working with visual datasets to develop best practices to tell a story or make an impact.   The program wraps up with the importance of understanding people analytics and forecasting in order to create effective action plans.  

Data Analytics for Leaders MicroCredential Certificate

By completing all sessions and intersession activities delegates will be awarded the Data Analytics for Leaders Microcredential Certificate. 

Workshop Descriptions

Session 1:  Introduction to Data Analytics for Leaders  

We can’t escape the presence of data in the media these days.  Advances in computing power have led to a massive explosion in the amount of data available for analysis.  But many businesses don’t take advantage of the opportunities for analyzing their data, and miss out on opportunities to improve their bottom line.   This first session will introduce leaders to what analytics is, and to common tools and methods used to perform analytics and convey results.  We’ll review examples in Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive analytics with an emphasis on concrete examples from business. 

Session 2: Data Literacy for Leaders 

Description:  As a leader responsible for the success of your organization, you need to be able to understand and take full advantage of your data.   But where do you start?  And how do you know which data you can trust? We’ll build on the concepts from Session 1 to address these questions, and chart a path forward to strategic use for yourself and for your team.

Session 3:  Storytelling Through Data Visualization / Communicate for Impact      

Description:  Numbers don’t tell the whole story.  They require context, they require an understanding of your business, and they require critical thinking.  In this session we’ll review best practices for presenting data through visual methods including graphs, infographics, and dashboards.  We’ll weigh the pros and cons of each, and discuss the merits of different types of charts, graphs and visuals to deliver your message.  

Session 4:   People Analytics   

Description:  Researchers are finding more and more evidence that leveraging human capital improves a company’s performance - its stock price, its customer satisfaction, its employee retention, and others.  As a leader responsible for the success of your organization, you need to be able to leverage data to take full advantage of this resource. We’ll discuss examples of how data and analytics can help leaders understand the value of an engaged employee, recognize factors that lead to employee turnover, predict the future productivity of job applicants, and proactively uncover sources of top-caliber talent. 

Session 5:  Forecasting Basics & Pitfalls  

Description:  One especially helpful use of analytics for business is forecasting.  We’ll review several types of forecasting that are regularly employed by businesses, time-series (trend lines, moving averages)  and associative (correlation, regression).   No method is perfect, however, and we’ll discuss the advantages of each as well as the drawbacks.  We’ll also look at some of the common pitfalls that both analysts and decision-makers make, and suggest ways to mitigate for that.

Session 6:  Putting It All Together:  KPIs, Building an Action Plan, and Google Analytics  

Description:  Our final session will consolidate what we’ve covered into a plan for action going forward.  We’ll walk through how to determine what metrics and analyses are the important ones for you to focus on in your business, depending on what your goals are.  Using Google Analytics as an example, we’ll identify the metrics that you’ll want to be keeping your eyes on within your organization, what questions they can (and can’t!) answer, and what analyses you’ll need to be receiving on a regular basis.  We’ll discuss building the internal structure that will deliver these metrics and analyses to you, from reporting programs to the skills needed by your team members.

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About Julie Alig, Ph.D.

Julie Alig is a data geek who’s passionate about telling stories and works with organizations, businesses, non-profits, colleges and universities, and other groups to uncover the stories in their data, using statistics and visualizations. Armed with this knowledge, they make strong, strategic decisions to move forward.  She earned her Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct her dissertation field research in Stuttgart, Germany.  She graduated cum laude from Columbia College in New York City with a Bachelor’s in History and French Literature.  She lives in Manchester with her husband and two children.