What My Clients Have Taught Me About Doing Data Impact Work for Changemakers

I was speaking with a former client, this was before they hired me. They told me that they needed help making sense of some data they had collected, in particular, to understand what the key takeaways should be and how that should drive their work forward. They said that in the past they had worked with a data firm, but that the data consultants didn’t “get them” and therefore the data support wasn’t what they needed. We talked about the kind of change they are trying to make in the world and how the data analysis and insights-gathering process needed to align with their changemaking goals. I realized that for changemakers, data chops are necessary but not sufficient. I need to show them that I understand who they are as people and an organization. I’m honored that they gave me a chance to support them on their journey. 

In the middle of another engagement, the client had a data firm work with them on a particular data project that was to help the client understand part of their impact in the field. But because they felt a disconnect with the data analysts, they wanted my expert eye on the data. They said they trusted me to look at the data because they felt like I was in tune with their work in the world and what they were hoping to glean from the data. I completed that data analysis work and presented my findings to the client. I asked them to share reactions to how I had cleaned (so many choices about how to code data in preparation for analysis) and sliced the data. They said it felt spot-on to them. I felt satisfied, even joyful, that my client trusted me with their data in this way. 

Reflecting on these and other instances helped me get clarity on my value-add in a marketplace full of human and AI data tools. The special connection I have with changemaking clients is because I am a changemaker too. I speak the language of my changemaking clients because I speak that language too. Only once we connect in this way can my data skills come into play and be of any utility to my clients. When I lead as a changemaker, I am more adept at helping mission-driven organizations know what to do with and look for in their data. Or what new data to collect. 

This realization made me think about how crucial trust-building and deep listening are with the client. Because sometimes the problem they initially present isn’t the problem we end up tackling. With one of my early clients, I facilitated a series of trust-building discovery sessions with the company owner. They expressed frustration with needing to change tech platforms for financial management. Through some probes that helped peel back some layers, I learned that it wasn’t the financial platform that was the heart of the issue. Instead, it was that the company lead didn’t have enough visibility into their financials that year, which was inhibiting their ability to make strategic decisions for the next quarter. Once I got in tune with my client’s deeper needs, I asked them to share their financial data with me to “play with” (I call this work playing with data because isn’t looking at data so fun?). I categorized the revenues and expenses as best I could and shared the analysis by month, which we reviewed together. The owner, able to see their data more easily, found that one of their costs was higher than optimal and focused on this item for cost reduction efforts in the next quarter. 

All this to say, what I learned from my clients about doing data work for changemakers is that data isn’t at the center of the work- people are. And if I want to do great work with and for them, then I need to be in alignment and in tune with my clients in a deep, meaningful way. We have to be in sync. I have to understand and appreciate their work. They need to feel seen and understood, that I “get them”. 

If you are a leader at a mission-driven organization, have you had an experience where your data consultant(s) really got you? How did you find the right company? Have you had the inverse happen where you felt a disconnect? What is most important to you when hiring help on data impact work? Sometimes a strong network convener can help make those matches. I am grateful that a national incubator for start-ups not only supported my time to coach several organizations on impact evaluation, but had a very intentional process of matching coaches with their network members. It affirmed to me that organizations supporting networks can provide resources for their members to try short-term engagements with data support companies to help them find the right fit. 

If you are a leader of a changemaking organization and want data people who get people and data, reach out for a conversation. We’d love to hear what you need.