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Tiankai is the author of the book, Humanizing Data Strategy: Leading Data with the Head and the Heart.
Data strategy isn’t broken. But our approach to it often is.
Too many strategies start and end with tools, pipelines, and architectural diagrams. They’re technically sound, but emotionally and culturally hollow.
We build data systems that no one uses, generate insights no one understands, and then wonder why adoption lags or trust breaks down.
After years of working across analytics, marketing, AI, and consulting, I realized we needed a shift: a way to lead data not just with our heads, but with our hearts.
That’s where the 5 Cs come in. A framework I created to bring a more human lens to data strategy and help teams build systems that people actually want to use.
Whether you’re a data analyst trying to collaborate better with stakeholders or a leader seeking to unlock more impact from your team, this model can help.
We’ve all been there. The dashboard is polished. The model is accurate. But when it comes time to make a decision, stakeholders hesitate. They don't get it. Or worse—they ignore it entirely.
That disconnect doesn’t come from a lack of data. It comes from a lack of connection.
Most data strategies focus on what we build, not how we bring others along. They treat people as users, not collaborators.
But to make data work truly impactful, we need to account for the messy, emotional, creative, and ethical dimensions of how people work together, annd what they care about.
To create strategies that stick, we need to go beyond technical checklists. The 5 Cs offer a more complete view of what success really looks like when humans and data meet:
Let’s unpack each one.
The technical and strategic foundation.
Competence is what most traditional strategies do well. It’s about building:
But even here, the human side matters.
Are we enabling the right competencies across the org? Are our data definitions aligned? Can teams actually use what we’ve built?
Without competence, there’s no credibility. But without the other Cs, competence alone won’t lead to impact.
Real collaboration is more than just meeting invites and shared docs. It’s about co-creation—bringing data producers and consumers into the same room to define problems, shape solutions, and build trust along the way.
It means spending time understanding the goals, challenges, and context of your stakeholders before you start building. It’s about working with people, not just for them.
In my own experience, the most impactful projects began not with a data request, but with a conversation.
Sometimes, it started with a simple mind map on a whiteboard. An attempt to capture the messy reality of business processes in a way that both analysts and stakeholders could understand.
This kind of collaboration takes time upfront, but it pays dividends. It reduces rework, builds shared accountability, and turns the data team from service provider into strategic partner.
The best data projects I’ve seen didn’t start with a dataset. They started with a shared question—and people willing to explore it together.
Communication is where most strategies break down.
Dashboards don’t speak for themselves. If people don’t understand the “why” behind the numbers, they’ll never trust the “what.”
This is where empathy and storytelling come in.
What language do stakeholders use? What decisions are they really trying to make? How do we make the data feel relevant to them?
In the webinar, I talked about how I went deep into books about communication and language—not just data books—to improve how I translate technical insight into something people actually understand.
That process reminded me that numbers are only powerful if we know how to frame them. We’re not just reporting, we’re translating.
Don’t just show metrics. Show meaning.
The overlooked superpower of data work.
This one surprises people. Creativity isn’t usually associated with strategy—but it should be. Creative thinking helps us reframe problems, find new paths, and bring playfulness into an otherwise rigid process.
In my own work, I use music and data art to spark engagement and inspire new conversations. You don’t need to sing about your dashboards (though I’ve done that), but embracing creativity opens the door to more original, human-centered solutions.
The ethical compass guiding our decisions.
This is perhaps the most important—and most neglected—C.
Data doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It influences real people and real outcomes. So we need to ask: Is what we’re doing fair? Transparent? Inclusive? What are the unintended consequences of this model or dashboard?
As I say in the book:
“Once you think about conscience, you realize—yes—there’s an ethical part to this.”
Conscience turns strategy from cold calculation into thoughtful leadership.
This isn’t just a theoretical model. You can use the 5 Cs to audit your current approach and guide new initiatives.
Try asking:
Even pausing to reflect on these can surface blind spots and spark new conversations.
The best data strategies don’t just scale—they connect. They build trust, inspire action, and feel like something people want to be part of.
If you want to create data work that lands with real impact, you need more than pipelines and platforms. You need people. And that means leading with both the head and the heart.
Want to hear the full conversation where I unpack this model and more? 👉 Watch the webinar here
