How do you gain business literacy?

Business literacy is empathy.

“Business literacy is so important for data people!”

This is what I read constantly (and write occasionally) on LinkedIn.

But what is business literacy…like actually?

Here’s my working definition:

“A curiosity, understanding and appreciation for business questions, challenges, and opportunities.”

This looks like:

• Not assuming business challenges are easy

• Asking more questions because the topic is more nuanced than you once believed

• Acknowledging the complexity of the process, logic, and constraints they face.

• Recognizing that things can be BOTH/AND.

• Requirements gathering is about business outcomes, not punch lists.

• Not assuming the business doesn’t know what they want.

Or, to put it in just a few word - Empathy for your business peers.

You feel, appreciate and are continually curious about their experience

and how you can remove the friction.

I’m here,

Sawyer