A 2020 study by Gartner found that only 34% of organisational change initiatives report clear success. While organisations are constantly evolving and changing, targeted change requires rich data to inform successful and inclusive policies and programmes.
There has been a recent drive by organisations, NGOs, and governments to collect more inclusive data. Data quality is a key factor in developing successful policies and programmes.
We all want to belong but not everyone feels they do. In fact, research by Harvard Business Review found 40% of people felt they didn’t belong at work. Now let’s apply this to the Irish Census 2022.
When I opened the census on Sunday night it seemed to me like they had not considered inclusion or belonging. Two gender choices were offered. Neurodiversity was not mentioned. To name but two!
The goal of this week’s newsletter is not to pick apart the lack of representation in the census but instead to consider two potential impacts. Firstly, how a person might feel when they open it and are not represented? Secondly, what opportunities may have been lost for all of us in Ireland for future decision making?
Decisions, whether they be at an individual, organisation, or government level are better when we know more. Here are four reasons why inclusive data is important.
1. More informed decision
Good data is good information. If you are including all employees in your data, you will get better insights into your organisation and be able to make better decisions.
2. Proactive problem solving
Data allows you to evaluate the health of your organisation. If you are collecting data from all employees, you will be able to identify problems early on and react quickly.
3. Be an ‘expert’ on your organisation
Only by listening to all employees’ voices can you truly know your organisation, it’s strengths and its challenges. When you speak about your organisation, you want to be able to speak about all of your organisation.
4. Reduce risks
Every decision requires a certain amount of guess work and instinct. Where it can become a challenge, is when this margin becomes too big. Inclusive data will support you to feel more confident in taking risks.
