Introduction
Business leaders are increasingly expected to make decisions that are fast, accurate, and grounded in evidence. Introduction to Data-Driven Decision Making provides a practical foundation for understanding how data can improve judgment, reduce uncertainty, and strengthen business outcomes. The course helps participants develop a clear decision-making framework that integrates data, business context, and leadership insight.
Course Objectives
- Understand how data supports better business decisions
- Improve decision quality through evidence and analysis
- Identify the right data for different business choices
- Recognize common biases and errors in decision-making
- Strengthen confidence in evaluating options and outcomes
- Promote more consistent decision practices across teams
Target Audience
- Managers and leaders making operational decisions
- Executives involved in strategy and performance management
- Team leaders responsible for resource allocation
- Professionals working in planning, analysis, and reporting
- Business owners seeking more structured decisions
- Change leaders driving performance improvements
Course Outline
- 5 Sections
- 0 Lessons
- 5 Days
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- Day 1: The Value of Data in Decision-Making• Why decisions fail without strong evidence
• The difference between intuition and data-informed judgment
• Types of decisions supported by data
• When data helps most and where it has limits
• Examples of high-impact data-driven decisions0 - Day 2: Defining the Decision Clearly• Clarifying objectives and decision criteria
• Framing the right question before analysis
• Identifying relevant stakeholders and constraints
• Choosing useful metrics and evidence sources
• Workshop: Structuring a business decision problem0 - Day 3: Interpreting Evidence and Options• Comparing alternatives using data
• Reading trends, scenarios, and trade-offs
• Recognizing uncertainty and incomplete information
• Avoiding bias in interpretation and choice
• Practical activity: Evaluating a business decision case0 - Day 4: Communicating and Defending Decisions• Presenting rationale supported by evidence
• Handling disagreement and conflicting interpretations
• Using visuals and summaries for clarity
• Linking recommendations to expected outcomes
• Case study: Executive decisions under uncertainty0 - Day 5: Building Decision Discipline in Organizations• Creating routines for better decision-making
• Embedding evidence into meetings and reviews
• Tracking outcomes and learning from decisions
• Supporting accountability and transparency
• Final group project: Presenting a data-driven decision framework0
Instructor
Lessons:
