How do you use data visualization and storytelling to communicate training insights and recommendations?

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As a corporate trainer, you want to use learning analytics and data-driven decision making to improve your training programs and outcomes. But how do you communicate your findings and recommendations to your stakeholders, such as managers, clients, or learners? One way is to use data visualization and storytelling, two powerful techniques that can help you present your data in a clear, engaging, and persuasive way. In this article, you will learn how to use data visualization and storytelling to communicate training insights and recommendations, and why they are important for your success.

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Kelli Coats

Human-Centered Educator/Trainer and Creator

1 What is data visualization?

Data visualization is the process of transforming data into graphical or visual forms, such as charts, graphs, maps, or dashboards. Data visualization can help you make sense of complex or large data sets, reveal patterns and trends, highlight key points, and compare different scenarios. Data visualization can also help you attract and retain the attention of your audience, as humans are more likely to process and remember visual information than text or numbers.

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2 What is storytelling?

Storytelling is the art of using words, images, sounds, or other elements to create a narrative that conveys a message or a meaning. Storytelling can help you connect with your audience on an emotional and cognitive level, build trust and credibility, and motivate them to take action or change their behavior. Storytelling can also help you structure your data and insights into a coherent and compelling plot, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

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3 How to combine data visualization and storytelling?

To combine data visualization and storytelling, you need to consider your goal and audience, choose the data and insights you want to share, pick the visualizations and tools you'll use, craft a story and narrative, and test and refine your communication. Identify who you're trying to reach and influence, what data sources and metrics you'll use to support your goal and message, what types of visualizations will best represent your data and insights, how you'll organize your data into a logical sequence, how you'll evaluate the effectiveness of your communication, and how you'll improve your skills.

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4 Why is data visualization and storytelling important?

Data visualization and storytelling are critical for training evaluation and reporting, design and delivery, engagement and retention, as well as influence and reputation. Through data visualization and storytelling, you can showcase the value of training programs, identify gaps and opportunities in training programs, capture the interest of learners, establish authority as a corporate trainer, communicate vision and goals, and inspire stakeholders to support recommendations. In this way, data visualization and storytelling can help you enhance your training evaluation and reporting, improve your training design and delivery, increase engagement and retention, as well as strengthen your training influence and reputation.

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5 What are some best practices for data visualization and storytelling?

To maximize the effectiveness of data visualization and storytelling, it is important to follow best practices. Ensure you understand your data and insights, their sources, limitations, and implications before creating or sharing any visualization or story. Additionally, be sure to know your audience and goal, tailoring the visualization and story to their needs and interests. Keep the visualization or story simple and clear, avoiding clutter or confusion with too much information. To make it attractive and engaging, use colors, shapes, icons, images, or other elements. Incorporate a clear call to action or recommendation into the visualization or story and explain why your audience should care about or act on the data and insights. Provide evidence, examples, or testimonials to support your claims for a persuasive result.

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Nausheen Saumtally

I enable corporate teams to cultivate strong leadership and boost productivity💡Trained teams globally🌍Unlock peak performance through human behavior & communication strategies🚀
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Breaking the training with stories and short videos also gives the mind another perspective and way to absorb, understand and process the information. It allows them to make it their own and relate in a way that causes change. I am always on the look out for short videos demonstrating what I am training or speaking about. Recently, I came across visuals (that I just had to share on my profile) on different concepts in the corporate world. It was so brilliantly put together. Kudos to that designer! These are simple with deep impacts on the mind.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Kelli Coats

Human-Centered Educator/Trainer and Creator
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Presenting facts (data) can tune people out - infusing storytelling (in my experience) offers interest and a way for people to engage, relate and understand, indeed. It also allows for a human touch to corporate identity.

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Corporate Training

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