Tell Us About Yourself

I help people seek, solicit, and speak data and information in safe-to-share environments. I can help data, technology, and business leaders influence culture change and ignite insight-driven decision-making at their organizations. I empower those at any point in their development journey to be curious, creative, critical thinkers who are undaunted by the perceived complexity of any data challenge. 

As a veteran networker, I learned that when you first meet someone, you want to learn who that person is and quickly establish if you know, like, and trust that person. In this new digital landscape, I found the fastest way to communicate this is via an infographic. By sharing my roles, goals, and values in infographic form, I can quickly convey who I am by sharing:
 

  • What functions I perform or value I offer others (roles).
  • What passions or challenges I am pursuing (goals).
  • What I believe in (values).

 

My personal roles, goals, and values are as follows:

Forrester Roles Goals and Values Diagram for Kim Herrington

What Brought You To Forrester To Cover Data Storytelling, Data Literacy, And Data Leadership? 

Forrester’s research is the drop of water that can cause waves of change. As a relentless creator and change agent, my roles, goals, and values were best aligned to Forrester’s culture. Here, I’m empowered to make bold calls in my research and add my voice to the tides of change.

Prior to joining Forrester, I’ve been:

  • Championing data literacy in my community as the 2020 Data Literacy Advocate of the Year.
  • Advocating for digital equity and building the next generation of leaders in my community via advisory board involvement. 
  • Consulting with insight and business leaders on data stories and strategies since 2020 as a data journalist to a large health plan. 
  • Recommending data leadership best practices since 2017 as the creator of a local business intelligence networking group. 
  • Teaching data literacy fundamentals since 2016 as the first business intelligence coordinator for two nonprofit healthcare organizations. 
  • Telling data stories since 2010 as a medical secretary and administrative assistant at an orthopedic clinic. 
  • Creating digital stories since 1994 as a student playing Storybook Weaver on an IBM. 

What Will Your Research Focus On? What Topics Are You Most Interested In Right Now?

As the newest member of the business insights research team, my research will focus on data leadership and strategy from an organization and people perspective. Data culture, data literacy, data storytelling, and data communications are topics I’m excited to research and write about this year.

As a teaser, here are some client questions my research will address:

Data Culture: 

  • “What questions can we start asking right now to identify blind spots in our data culture?” 
  • “Now that we’ve identified culture blind spots, how might we address them this quarter?” 

Data Literacy: 

  • “How do we empower our staff to make more insight-driven decisions?” 
  • “How can I measure the effectiveness of my data literacy program?” 

Data Storytelling: 

  • “How do I communicate value and inspire action of stakeholders?” 
  • “How do I help my technical teams tell better data stories without deflating their creator confidence?” 

Data Communication: 

  • “Where do balls get dropped as we roll out new insight products or services?” 
  • “How do we create better channels to obtain unique challenges and share insight solution knowledge?” 

What Kinds Of Client Personas Would You Recommend Read Your Research?

Specifically, I will write to technology executives, technology architecture and delivery leaders, and functional leaders such as customer experience (CX) leaders who are all driving data, analytics, and insights initiatives in their roles and organizations.

If clients are curious to learn answers to the questions posed above, my writing and presentation style has been described as a voice that speaks not only to rank leadership, but also to “boots on the ground” change agents as well.

Now What: What Actions Can Readers Take Right Now?

Schedule an inquiry, read my research, or follow me on LinkedIn to learn about upcoming webinars and events I’ll be participating in.

I am looking forward to interacting with you!