Leading With Data and Analytics

Learn how to improve business outcomes by leveraging analytics to make evidence-based decisions.

As the volume of available business data expands, the winners in tomorrow’s marketplace will be those who can generate insight from information. Yet, many leaders feel daunted by the sheer amount of data out there. Many others make the critical mistake of looking for patterns in the data they have, instead of framing productive questions to shape the data they need. Competency in this area is so lacking, a recent Gartner study predicted that by 2020, 80% of organizations will initiate deliberate development programs in data literacy.

Many of the ideas, methods and principles that describe the best business data and analytics practices were pioneered by faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In this six-week program, participants learn how to “think data” the Booth way. They develop the critical and creative reasoning skills needed to frame a data analytics project, collaborate with data specialists, and ultimately make evidenced-based decisions that drive results — without sacrificing speed and agility.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Apply the Chicago Booth Approach to win in the marketplace: Develop the key ingredients of a powerful data analytics strategy: a specific business objective, well-developed theories, and a model that points the way to critical data and deep insight.
• Frame questions to generate data-based insight: Identify specific objectives and related hypotheses to drive data analysis.
• Avoid biases in interpreting data: Sidestep the common pitfall of unconsciously bending data to support false assumptions and preconceptions.
• Tell the story of the data: Translate data-driven insights into actionable decisions and drive buy-in by delivering a compelling narrative.

Program Structure

The program structure includes:

• 6 week duration, 30 hours to complete requirements
• 10 hours of on-demand, HD lectures
• Professor interactions, group learning, and optional coaching sessions
• Facilitated intra-company team meetings
• Final project, which integrates weekly activities