5 Reasons Your Team Hates Data -- and How to Get Them to Love It

When leaders start to talk about data to non-technical employees, reactions can vary.

Some employees will immediately break eye contact, thinking about how to fake an aneurism to get out of the room. Others will nod agreeably, but seem to have a glazed look in their eyes as if they’ve just entered a parallel universe. Still others will get agitated or angry, sort of like 5-year-olds who have just been told they will now only get broccoli for dessert.

Still, it’s how leaders react that will make the biggest difference when it comes to using data in today’s workplace. If leaders choose to ignore warning signs from employees showing they clearly only think of data as painful, then they will be wasting time and resources.

But, if leaders do their homework and are ready to make a clear-cut and easy-to-understand case about why data can truly help employees do their jobs better and easier, then they’re going to make important headway.

So, here are some of the reasons why employees dislike data and how to change their minds and get more business insights and value out of it:

1. It’s not accessible to everyone.  Some employees may have had experiences that required them to learn a new tool or system and then – poof! – that changes and they can no longer access key information. So, they start doing things manually, which is always slower and adds to the potential for mistakes. But if leaders can offer data that are easily refreshed and approachable for everyone, then those with lesser skills are no longer locked out and employees feel comfortable abandoning their manual processes. They trust the data will be user-friendly and accessible when they need it.
2. They don’t understand the strategy behind it. If you want employees to embrace data – and be happy about it – then you need to explain why it’s important. Help them understand it means  their commissions will be paid in a timely (read more here)

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