Presenting to Leadership? 3 Tips to Ensure Your Data Strategy Resonates

Communicate your data strategy proactively

This year I've had the privilege of stepping into my Chief Data Strategy role. Beyond delivery as an engineer, I've been responsible for directing the vision, implementation, and execution of mid-sized healthcare orgs' data strategies.

The deeper I get into the data space, the more I realize storytelling and proper salesmanship is crucial for success. There are many human intricacies at play, and let's be honest - the true value of data management and strategy isn't easily seen.

In issue 27, we're diving into 3 tips to ensure your data strategy resonates with leadership. As a practitioner, I often forget that much of the information I study isn't easily understood - data governance being top of mind.

Side note - a huge shout out to Dylan Anderson's three part series on data governance that has helped shape my expertise and confidence in this difficult component of the data space.

The goal is to help new data leaders communicate confidently. Going into a large presentation can be nerve-racking, and hopefully my experiences and takeaways help you prepare. So without further adieu, here we go…

1. Understand the background of your stakeholders

Who are you presenting for? This is a massive determination. C-suite stakeholders are often thought to not be technical. Simplifying from technical data architecture and modeling conversation to an entire focus on business outcomes is usually the recommended approach.

However, based on my experience I've seen leadership stakeholders on all ends of the spectrum. Some know nothing about data, others are surprisingly tech-savvy - building their own Power BI semantic models and dashboards. (Yes, even a CEO who builds their own reports!)

With that in mind, do plenty of research on your stakeholders. If they'd appreciate technical elements, include your development process and data modeling assets (ERDs and technical architecture diagrams).

Since they may be technical, it's helpful to give them context on what work you're actually doing and how it's positively impacting their data practice. If there are some non-technical stakeholders on the call, it always ends with the business outcomes.

"Now that I've walked you through our data modeling process, here's how it helped ensure the report was 100% validated and drove $1M in cost savings across the business as a result."

This approach balances enough technical detail to satisfy technical leaders, while keeping non-technical stakeholders on the same page by ending on business outcomes.

2. Create visual-heavy slides

Originally, I'd create these presentations with bullets. Sentence after sentence - it didn't resonate well. Stakeholders spent more time reading slides than listening, observing and thinking. It was information overload, and I had to dial it back.

Not only technical data & architecture diagrams, but workflow and process diagrams have been positively received. Visually showcasing how we conduct data solutioning from audit > architecture > data modeling > development proved helpful in a room of technical executives.

Keep slides to a maximum 6-7 words per slide as your guiding principle. Replace bullet points with infographics, process flows, and data visualizations. For example, instead of listing "Data Quality Issues" in text, show a visual dashboard with red/yellow/green health indicators across different data domains.

Create visual roadmaps using swim lanes or timeline graphics rather than Gantt charts - show current state as cluttered, fragmented systems and future state as a clean, integrated architecture diagram. Leverage icons and color coding consistently throughout - perhaps blue for current state, green for future state, and orange for transition activities.

For governance frameworks, use organizational charts, RACI matrices, and process flow diagrams instead of text descriptions. Show data lineage visually with flow charts that executives can quickly grasp.

3. Prepare for the "What Could Go Wrong" Conversation

The touchy topics in presentations to leadership are typically timeline and ROI.

When is it going to be done? How much will it cost us? What is the benefit / return?

I wouldn't recommend giving a hard deadline. Always use estimates. Whether that's a database migration percentage completed or a straight timeline, don't overpromise anything. Furthermore, if there is pushback on not having a hard deadline, it's critical to explain the risk mitigation approach behind your estimates.

Data projects are inherently complex. There are unknowns that surface during discovery, integration challenges that weren't apparent in initial scoping, and change management hurdles that can extend timelines. I've learned to proactively address these concerns rather than wait for leadership to bring them up.

Here's what I include in every presentation: a dedicated slide on implementation risks and mitigation strategies. Common risks include data quality issues during migration, resource constraints from competing priorities, and user adoption challenges. For each risk, I outline specific steps we'll take to minimize impact.

I also prepare 2-3 alternative approaches in case there's pushback on the primary recommendation. Maybe they want a phased approach instead of a big-bang implementation, or perhaps budget constraints require a more modest scope. Having these alternatives ready shows strategic thinking and builds confidence that you've considered multiple scenarios.

Most importantly, I frame potential challenges as normal parts of the data transformation journey rather than failures. "Here's what we might encounter and how we'll handle it" resonates much better than "Here's what could go wrong."

Final Thoughts

The data space continues to evolve rapidly, and our ability to communicate value becomes more critical each year. These three approaches have helped me navigate challenging stakeholder presentations and build trust with leadership teams across different organizations.

Remember, your technical expertise got you in the room, but your ability to translate that expertise into business impact will determine your success. The goal isn't to impress them with your data knowledge - it's to help them understand how your work drives their business forward.

What strategies have worked for you when presenting to leadership? I'd love to hear your experiences and continue building on these insights together.

Christian Steinert is the founder of Steinert Analytics, helping healthcare & roofing organizations turn data into actionable insights. Subscribe to Rooftop Insights for weekly perspectives on analytics and business intelligence in these industries.

Feel free to book a call with us here or reach out to Christian on LinkedIn. Thank you!