Turning numbers into compelling stories

Does data make you feel uneasy? If you want to write a story driven by data, here’s the first thing you should do?

Say, “I thought math wasn’t part this job!”

Just not out loud.

Numbers are one of the strengths of telling stories about organizations, especially stories about Environmental, Social and Governance practices. The numbers allow you to demonstrate to employees, customers, investors and the public what you are doing. These audiences are increasingly skeptical about ESG claims, surveys show. Bluster and boasting prompts a backlash. Persuade them with proof.

But “numbers stories,” as they’re called in newsrooms, can be intimidating. Even those experienced in turning data into compelling narratives can get a little confused.

Here are seven tips for putting together your next data story.

1. Immerse yourself in the data. “It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data,” Sherlock Holmes says in, “A Scandal in Bohemia.” (Yes, the original British spelling.)