From Capability to Culture: What really embeds data storytelling into ways of working

Over the years, one thing has become very clear - embedding data storytelling practices that drive insight activation and decision-making takes more than capability building. Skills matter, but they’re only part of the equation. Alongside training, I am passionate about helping teams build a sustainable culture where insight and storytelling consistently contributes to business decisions and action. Here I draw on what works in practice and how all teams can make storytelling stick.

Building a data storytelling culture

As Charlotte Neal, currently Head of Marketing at Nest Pensions, and an experienced marketer who has previously led teams at Turning Point, Sodexo and AXA Heath, puts it – it is all about making it a natural part of your day to day way of working.

“Talk regularly about insights. Make sure that you're finding a story or a surprising insight or something to have a five-minute conversation about on a regular basis. It doesn't even have to be from within your organisation. It can be a stat that's come from an external source that you might want to have a conversation about. Just make sure it becomes part of your ongoing conversations with your team. Try and make it part of the narrative, so it feels really natural.”

Across teams who have truly embedded a data storytelling culture, a few consistent factors show up again and again:

1. They keep data storytelling on the agenda.
   They don’t treat upskilling as a one-off event and assume ‘job done’. They keep the momentum going through ongoing discussion, knowledge sharing and continued skill development.

2. They hold each other to account.
   They collaborate, give constructive feedback and actively seek input from others in service of a clearer, more actionable story.

3. They translate the learning into what works for them.
   They turn principles into practical tools that fit their context and adapt templates, checklists, guidelines and examples.

4. They empower passionate individuals.
   They create storytelling champions who role model the ways of working, coach others, build alliances with the right stakeholders, and advocate for the time, resource and budget needed to improve.

5. They demonstrate impact.
   They communicate accomplishments, share progress, and shout about success so data storytelling feels worth the effort, not like an optional extra.

What does this mean for day-to-day habits?

Culture is built in the small moments. The teams who embed storytelling don’t rely on good intentions; they rely on repeatable habits.

Here are some of the day-to-day habits that I see making the biggest difference:

1) Stay grounded in business and customer reality

Strong data stories are anchored in what’s actually true and what’s feasible and viable to action. Keeping up with what’s happening across the wider business, commercially and operationally, helps ensure the story is actionable. Teams make time to immerse themselves in the world of their customer - observing qualitative research, doing intercept interviews, joining accompanied shops, shopping the competition. They read widely across marketing, consumer psychology, retail trends and the broader macro context so they bring fresh perspectives and avoid getting stuck in a narrow bubble.

2) Learn from the past and codify what works

Reviewing archives is a powerful and often overlooked discipline. Looking back at which stories landed, who they reached, how they were shared, and how they influenced decisions helps teams spot recurring themes and patterns. They ask practical impact questions to understand reach, engagement, feedback, and downstream usage. Over time, these learnings become story archetypes or reusable frameworks. The evidence and recommendations may change, but the underlying narrative structures often repeat, so having tried-and-tested story shapes saves time and avoids reinventing the wheel.

3) Build data fluency and analytical curiosity

High-quality storytelling relies on confidence with the data itself. Teams get familiar with key datasets, definitions and assumptions by exploring dashboards hands-on. They deliberately investigate from different angles, such as breaking down samples by behaviours not just demographics, looking at outliers, and exploring what exceptions reveal about preferences. They also do interim analysis rather than waiting for everything to be perfectly curated, which creates more time for nuance, faster iteration, and earlier detection of tricky messages or quality issues.

4) Experiment early, spot gaps, and watch for signals

The best teams try ideas early. They test hypotheses and run experiments to learn what stories and outputs work before committing fully. In parallel, they stay honest about knowledge gaps and make explicit plans to address them, sometimes advocating for access to new sources, better tools, or specialist support. They also keep an eye on core data feeds for early warning signs of risks or opportunities. Not every signal needs a full story refresh, but sharing early observations informally can stress-test relevance, gauge reactions, and spark new lines of investigation.

5) Make it shared, not siloed

Storytelling thrives in open, collaborative environments. Teams create feedback loops with stakeholders and partners so that meta-stories evolve over time rather than becoming stale. They integrate stories into key documents to keep the customer front-and-centre and break down silos by sharing insights, inviting questions, and bringing diverse perspectives into early story hypotheses and interpretation. Some accelerate this through hackathons, communities of interest, and safe spaces where people can explore contradictions, challenge assumptions, and experiment without fear of getting it wrong. And importantly, they celebrate progress and small wins.

Want more examples of what works in practice?

These are just some examples of what works, but I’d love to hear how you’ve embedded storytelling within your own teams. In 2026, I’ll be conducting more extensive research into what works in practice, and the barriers and challenges that need workaround solutions. If you’d like to contribute to the research and share what has worked in your team or organisation, I’d love to set up a call. And if you’d simply like to receive a copy of the research outputs, I’d love to hear from you too. Please contact Caroline at caroline@insight-narrator.co.uk to register your interest.