S4 | Ep 45 | Translating the Language of Data with Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton UK

In Episode 45, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton UK, where they discuss how to translate the language of data to create a unified language, which includes; Operating for 25 years in the same organisation Being a translator in his personal family life Why coming from a non-traditional background has been a huge benefit for his career The unusual situation of having Data Leaders within its advisory business The benefits and downsides of being in the same organisation for so longWhy translation is the key to success in both the business and technical settings How to avoid the business coming to you with pre-defined solutions Creating the muscle memory to establish the ‘why’The misconception that all businesses require the same thing from a CDO Why semantics are part of the translation challenge Why the data literacy challenge is a cultural one and not a training oneBusiness Leaders don’t want to talk about Data The importance of articulating not just what the benefits are, but what that means Creating a team that is focused on the business objectives and benefits Why data can and should become a unified language of business Why the language we use internally as an industry we shouldn’t use within our organisations Ensuring you can articulate the risks of not having a unified language as well as the benefits Why it’s your job as a Data Leader to understand what is important in relation to terminology inside an organisationWhy the immaturity of the industry still causes many of our challenges Why organisations are still figuring out what they want and need from their data investments Articulating messages differently for different audiences  Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.