A Kat Greenbrook course
Move your team from reporting findings to advising on
Your analysts are doing good data analysis work. These data storytelling workshops give them the skills to communicate it in a way that moves people to action.
Practical, facilitated workshops for your team, run by Kat Greenbrook, author of The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Discuss a workshop run privately for your teamThe Context
What are the Data Storytelling workshops?
The Data Storytelling workshops are private, facilitated workshops for teams whose work involves communicating data, run on request by Kat Greenbrook, founder of Rogue Penguin and author of The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Three tiers, Essentials, Advanced, and Applied, delivered in person or remotely.
Your team leaves with one shared way to find the story in their data, structure a narrative that leads a stakeholder to a decision, and design visuals that carry it. Every attendee receives a copy of The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Why I recommend it
I meet a lot of data teams who do great analysis and then watch it die in the meeting. The insight was there. The story was not, so the stakeholders heard numbers, asked for another cut of the data, and made the decision without them.
Kat is who I point those teams at. We worked through her data storytelling patterns on episode 48 of the Agile Data N' Info podcast and I have been recommending her workshops ever since. She wrote The Data Storyteller's Handbook, and she teaches the craft the way she practises it, pen and paper first, tools second.
I teach the Information Product Canvas because defining the right Information Product is where the value starts. Kat teaches telling the story so the decision actually gets made. The two go together like pen and paper.
The problem
Great analysis that does not
Most teams that work with data are good at analysis. The communication part of the role is not something they signed up for, and it shows.
Recognise your team?
Team outcomes
Six things your team will be able to
Every tier builds these skills. The deeper tiers add design and real-world application.
Start with the goal
Identify the real communication goal before building any report or presentation.
Advise, don't just report
Bring organisational context into the analysis, moving from reporting what the data says to advising on what to do about it.
Know the audience
Understand the audience well enough to make different choices about what to show and how.
Find the story
Find the story in the data, not just the numbers.
Structure the narrative
Shape a narrative that leads a stakeholder to a decision.
Design for clarity
Apply design principles that make data visuals clearer and more persuasive.
The workshops
Three tiers, one data storytelling
All workshops run on request, privately or your team. Every attendee receives a copy of The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Essentials
All your team needs to start its data storytelling journey.
Advanced
Everything in Essentials, plus an introduction to design and data visualisation.
Applied
Everything in Advanced, plus applying the whole process to real-world, noisy data. Data supplied.
Durations stretch when a workshop runs over lunch.
Discuss a workshop start small or go all inFacilitated by
Kat is a Wellington-based data storytelling consultant, speaker, and author of The Data Storyteller's Handbook, the book every workshop attendee takes home.
She has designed and run hundreds of workshops for teams across New Zealand's public and private sectors and internationally, and every workshop on this page is hers, built and facilitated by the person who wrote the book.
Shane and Kat talked through the craft on episode 48 of the Agile Data N' Info podcast.
she wrote the handbook on this
The practical details
Built for teams that work with
The logistics, so you can check the fit before you chat with Kat.
Teams that communicate data
Analysts, data scientists, researchers, reporting specialists, business intelligence teams, and the people who lead them. No prior data storytelling experience needed, and participants don't need to be data experts.
In person or remote
Essentials and Advanced run in person or remotely, which works well for distributed teams. Applied runs in person. Kat is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and in-person workshops elsewhere add her travel costs.
Up to 12, then per person
The base price covers up to 12 people, with additional attendees at a per-person rate. Workshops can also run as a series of shorter sessions to suit your team's schedule.
Pen, paper, tool-agnostic
All exercises use pen and paper, and the principles apply in whatever software your team uses. Every attendee takes home The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Pricing
What it costs, tier by
Fixed prices in New Zealand dollars, excluding GST. Organisations outside New Zealand don't pay GST. In-person workshops outside Wellington, New Zealand add Kat's travel costs.
NZD $5,995
for up to 12 people, then NZ$449 per personNZD $7,445
for up to 12 people, then NZ$545 per personNZD $8,995
for up to 12 people, then NZ$649 per personA few more things
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance do we need to book?
A few weeks is usually enough, but popular times book out. Get in touch as early as you can and Kat will find a date that works.
Can the workshop run as shorter sessions rather than one block?
Yes. Tell Kat what would work for your team's schedule and Kat will see if she can arrange it.
My team lives in its data visualisation tool. Why this workshop?
Because data visualisation is one part of data storytelling. A data story usually needs multiple visualisations, connected by a narrative. The workshop teaches your team how to piece it all together, complementing the tool skills they already have.
I don't analyse data in my role. Is the workshop still right for me?
Yes. The workshops suit anyone who communicates technical information as part of their role, graphic designers, communications specialists, and product managers included. There is no data analysis prerequisite.
My job is the modelling and analysis. Why do I need to tell stories?
Data communication skills are now a requirement in most advertised analyst and data science roles. The storytelling usually falls to the person who did the analysis. The workshops give you frameworks to tell data stories from your own work.
Do we need to know specific data visualisation software?
No. The workshops are tool-agnostic and every exercise is done with pen and paper. The design principles and best practice techniques apply to any software.
I don't have a team. Can I do this workshop?
The live workshops are only available at group prices. For individuals, Kat's on-demand course covers the same content as the Essentials workshop, and more, at your own pace.
Register your interest
Discuss a workshop
Tell us about your team, what they produce today, and where the communication is falling short. Kat will come back with the tier that fits, and dates that work for your schedule and budget.
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Prefer email? Write to course.storytelling@agiledataguides.com and tell us the same things.
no pitch, just the right fitThree tiers, one skill
Ready to talk about your team?
Get in touch with Kat to figure out which workshop is the right fit, and how to make it work for your schedule and budget.
Discuss a workshop data in, findings discovered, decisions informed