Predictions 2023: Tech Teams Set Sights On Communication Coordination To Inform Insights Initiatives

Psychological safety and communication will be critical for insights initiatives in 2023 and beyond. Workplace psychological safety pertains to one’s ability to speak up without fear of rejection or ridicule. Data, analytics, and insights can make people uncomfortable. If you are unwilling to have uncomfortable — even vulnerable — discussions within your data and business insights teams, you can kiss innovation goodbye. While you are mourning the loss of innovation, be sure to wave as recent new hires also exit your organization. Those who came to be a part of an insights-driven revolution are instead driven right out the door when they discover that the transformational mission they signed on for is really just sifting through spreadsheets.

Leaders of insights-driven businesses will make the most of what they have. Under increased pressure from anxious executives, tech leaders will be forced to articulate business value from every angle. In 2023, we expect business intelligence professionals to slow (but not stop!) spending on new solutions while getting serious about maximizing the value of the products they have. Likewise, employees working adjacent to data and analytics teams (think customer service or sales SMEs) will be urged to “come to the data side” as data communicators and data-literacy training initiatives help adaptive, future fit employees gain insights to share with the departments they report to.

Governance teams will continue to grow in 2023. We know that the world today is vastly different than it was in 2019 but not just because of social and political upheavals along with a global pandemic. While we were all focusing on new advancements in AI, governance teams were taking root within organizations. As more organizations now understand that governance is the bedrock upon which data, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence all sit, people are less nervous talking about governance because they can find more information and best practices on the interwebs and because the technology in this field has evolved. Firms that take this growth seriously and look at governance as more than a checkbox will start thinking about connected intelligence and be able to measure and monetize data as the valuable asset it is.