Make Data Talk

What role does curiosity play in building a truly data-informed culture? In this episode of Make Data Talk , Dr Selena Fisk explores why curiosity is one of the most important—and most overlooked—leadership behaviours in data-informed organisations. While many leaders invest in dashboards, reports and data strategies, sustainable improvement depends on creating a culture where people feel safe to...

In this episode, Dr. Selena Fisk explores what it really means to be a learning organisation and challenges whether most teams are actually learning or simply saying the right things. Drawing on Harvard Business Review's work on learning organisations, she unpacks the role of both pre-decision and post-decision data, and why the real test of organisational learning comes when evidence challenges t...

In this episode, Dr. Selena Fisk explores why perceptions data is essential at the start of any change project. This episode examines how hindsight bias and outcomes bias distort post-change evaluation, and why leaders need baseline feedback from employees, leaders, clients, and other stakeholders to measure change accurately.

In this week's episode, Dr Selena Fisk explores data-informed decision making , outcome bias , and hindsight bias , and explains why a disappointing results do not always mean the original decision was wrong. This episode is for professionals and leaders who want to make better decisions, reflect more effectively, and learn how to separate  decision quality from decision outcomes when navigating u...

In this episode, Dr. Selena Fisk explores data-informed culture and the leadership alignment required to make it stick. She breaks down why middle leaders and middle management can't carry data culture change alone, and why  executive sponsorship and middle leader follow-through are essential if an organisation wants data to genuinely shape decisions. Listeners will learn what strong leadership al...

In this episode of  Make Data Talk , Dr. Selena Fisk breaks down why "recommended charts" and default visualisations often hide the real story in your data... and what to do instead. You'll learn how Microsoft Excel's chart choices can unintentionally mislead your audience, distract from your message, or make insights harder to see, especially when you're presenting to leaders, clients, or time-po...

Most data storytelling advice focuses on the analysis: choosing the right data, selecting the best charts, and building compelling visuals. But in real organisations, the hardest part is often what happens after the analysis — when you have to share the data in a meeting . In this episode, Dr. Selena Fisk explores why data conversations can break down in mixed-skill meetings , where some people sp...

In this episode of  Make Data Talk , Dr. Selena Fisk breaks down the critical difference between a data strategy and a data plan,  and why confusing the two is quietly undermining data-informed decision making in many organisations. Too often, leaders believe they have a data strategy when what they actually have is a collection of dashboards, reporting tools, or technology roadmaps. But a true da...

Most dashboards look impressive. They're packed with metrics, trends, and filters, and yet they still leave people asking, "So what?" In this episode of Make Data Talk , Dr. Selena Fisk unpacks why a data dashboard is not a data story (and why confusing the two leads to stalled decisions, misaligned teams, and "insight" that never turns into action). You'll learn the critical importance of meaning...

"I'm not a numbers person" is one of the most common and most limiting beliefs holding people back from engaging with data. In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk challenges the widespread assumption that data literacy is about maths ability. She explains why modern data work has very little to do with calculations and everything to do with interpretation, critical thinking, and decision-making. You'll l...

Many leaders believe their organisation has a data problem...  not enough data, not the right dashboards, not the right systems. In this episode, I unpack why that's rarely the real issue. Instead, most organisations are grappling with a skills or confidence problem. People are surrounded by data but don't feel equipped or safe to ask questions, interpret what they see, or use data once decisions...

Ever wondered what data and yoga have in common? At first, they seem like two very different ideas, but dig a little deeper and you start to see there is much yoga can teach us about data. In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk reflects on the completion of her yoga teacher training and five things it's taught her about data culture in our organisations. Connect with Selena at https://www.linkedin.com/in...

Do you brainstorm and plan out your data visualisations before you present them to others?  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk talks about the idea of discovery visuals, and the process for getting the best visualisation for the data story you want to tell. Connect with Selena at https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenafisk/

When making change, it's useful to look at all the different impacts and categorise these so you can focus on what matters to you and your organisation. Last episode, Dr Selena FIsk introduced her new 3i Impact Model, and in this episode, she unpacks the different archetypes each type of impact falls into.  Connect with Selena at https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenafisk/  

Do you struggle with a tangible way to measure impact? We all strive to create an impact, but often it's difficult to truly measure the impact of a change, initiative or project we've put in place in a simple, yet meaningful way. In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk introduces her new 3i impact model, developed over 12 months of working with change makers and leaders in various industries looking to me...

Apologies for the provocative title, but while dashboards are powerful visualisation tools, unfortunately they are not a silver bullet for all things data storytelling. In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk explains why dashboards should not become the "be all and end all" when it comes to data storytelling, and how to avoid the pitfalls of set-and-forget dashboards.  Connect with Selena at https://www....

A question often encountered with data is the ethical considerations we need to be aware of when collecting, using and interpreting data. In this episode, Dr. Selena Fisk dives into actionable strategies for ethical data use and how you can avoid common pitfalls in data storytelling to build trust and credibility. Other episodes mentioned: Data Biases   Take the data diagnostic here: Corporates: h...

Do you have one or two people in your organisation who are responsible for many of the key operations when it comes to data? Have you considered what would happen if they were to leave or become unwell?  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk talks about 'key person risk', what it means for organisations in terms of data and how you can proactively plan for and minimise it in your teams and organisations...

Do you find yourself looking at data and only seeing the things that went wrong or need to improve?  In this week's Make Data Talk episode, I show you how to think like a bronze medallist when it comes data, so you can see all the things that went right in order for you and your team to have gotten onto that proverbial podium in the first place. Connect with Selena at https://www.linkedin.com/in/s...

We're often quite good at using pre-decision data to inform our next actions, but what about post-decision data? How often do you stop and reflect on post-decision data and actually use it for action? In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk talks about the difference between pre-decision and post-decision data, and how to upskill your team to ensure they're reflecting on post-decision data effectively.  ...

Are you looking to lead data informed change in your organisation but not sure how to get to that critical buy in from your team?  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk talks about the notion of a 'Tipping point' and how to recognise those members of your team who will be your assests when leading data informed change.    Connect with Selena at https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenafisk/

How many times have you looked at data, noticed something and thought 'oh that's interesting'? Content warning: This episode is a bit of a rant! Dr Selena Fisk needs you to stop with the 'interesting' data. Check out this week's episode for the reasons why, and what you should actually be focussing on instead when looking at data.    Connect with Selena: at https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenafisk/...

Are you making the most of your meeting times when it comes to data? In an age of meetings for meetings' sake, don't be that person!  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk provides some strategies for the best practice when using data in your meetings, to ensure you get the most value out of this time with your team and get to the action of data storytelling.    Connect with Selena: at https://www.linke...

Who remembers the infamous hip gyrating, truly visceral celebration Dean Boxall, coach of the Australian swimming team, gave at the Tokyo Olympics after Ariarne Titmus won gold in the 400m freestyle? Well it turns out, listening to him give a keynote address is even more inspiring.  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk reflects on Dean Boxall's coaching style and what elite level coaches can teach us a...

There's no denying, it can be time consuming to ensure robust data collection processes are in place in an organisation. But often we don't stop to appreciate the time this initial investment can save us.  In this episode, Dr Selena Fisk gives some air time to a little talked about benefit of data plans and data collection - the time it saves us. Tune in for 4 key ways data can save you time.    C...