Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio – Decision Making with Data

• Safely Leveraging AI for Inclusive Decision-Making
• Becoming the Architect of Your Organization’s Data
• Building Data-Informed Decision-Making Skills Organization-Wide
• Harnessing Strategic Nudges for Organizational Success
• Best Practices for De-Biasing AI Systems

Organizations have access to more data than ever before.

But knowing more about customers and employees doesn’t always make it any easier for leaders to make decisions. How can leaders improve their talent and innovation processes using the data already at their fingertips?

Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio (pronounced “CHECK-ee dee-MEG-lee-oh”), a prominent expert in behavioral and data science, leadership and inclusivity, says, “Leaders require data to illuminate the path ahead, because without data, uncertainty can rattle the business and bring decision-making to a halt.”

With over two decades of experience in big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and a deep expertise of the interplay between race, gender and leadership, she emphasizes, “Data gives a solid foundation to help leaders identify and select opportunities, build consensus, break silos, and wire their businesses for agile, optimal centers of talent and innovation.”

Cecchi-Dimeglio serves as the co-founder and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Research Initiative for Women and Minority Attorneys at Harvard Law School and holds the position of Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Center on the Legal Profession.

Leveraging her expertise, she guides organizations in forming decision-making tactics that are rooted in facts and inclusive by design.

The founder of People Culture Drive Consulting group (PCD Consulting), a strategic data-driven and behavioral-science consulting firm with offices in the U.S, Europe and the U.K, she focuses on improving organizations’ decision-making processes to level the playing field, Cecchi-Dimeglio is truly an “architect of data.”

Having partnered with Fortune 500 companies, governments and large non-profits, across the world to design and implement behavioral interventions, foster inclusive leadership and create truly diverse teams, she blends academic rigor and practical experience to holistically analyze the data available to an organization.

After identifying patterns and barriers that exist in the data, leaders are equipped to confidently construct new processes that align with strategy.

These procedures are designed to flex and scale no matter how the business environment changes, providing a sure path forward into an unclear future.

When you’re strategically moving a company into the next 30 years, you need to understand the data in front of you in order to ensure that your employees’ decisions are leading to the outcomes you want,” explains Cecchi-Dimeglio, whose Forbes column provides essential guidance on leadership strategy, communication and AI.
Decisions are a compounding effect, so collectively, you’ll get better decisions over time.

Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio

Cecchi-Dimeglio’s frameworks leverage scientific insights and data, showcasing the potency of nudging in strategic problem-solving and leadership decisions. She sheds light on nuanced cues that employers can use, promoting positive employee actions that align with company goals.

An inventor who holds several patents for software and SAAS tools that help de-bias performance reviews, her scalable strategies directly tie results to tracked data, instead of “gut feelings,” taking the weight of decision-making off leaders’ shoulders and giving them confidence as they move forward.

Cecchi-Dimeglio offers advice for leaders to create their journey to success.

Talks & Topics

Best Practices for De-Biasing AI Systems

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing over sentient AI, but according to Harvard Law School professor Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, award-winning behavioral and data science expert, bias in AI is a bigger problem – and it’s already here.

As she describes in her standout article, “Can We Get the Bias Out of Our AI?,” Cecchi-Dimeglio illuminates how algorithms, originally intended to promote fairness and automation, can inadvertently perpetuate discrimination, leading to harmful lawsuits. Cecchi-Dimeglio deftly explains methods for detecting unfairness in existing AI systems, then proposes twelve best practices to help organizations and decision-makers prevent it.

She helps leaders confidently navigate the evolving AI landscape while also avoiding potential class action lawsuits and other consequences.

Become the Architect of Your Organization’s Data

In a world flooded with information, leaders often grapple with translating the wealth of data available to them into effective, actionable strategies. Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio is a behavioral and data scientist and leadership expert who offers a transformative approach to leadership and innovation using Big Data and AI.

A long-time authority in data-driven decision-making, Cecchi-Dimeglio delivers an overview of how to holistically analyze an organization’s data with an eye to pre-existing patterns and barriers.

She then helps leaders and teams design processes that align with an organization’s strategy, enabling them to better meet the demands and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

Her scientifically driven methods encourage leaders to move beyond gut feelings to decisions rooted in facts, creating scalable strategies that flex with the changing business environment.

By tying outcomes directly to tracked data, participants gain a sense of sureness, turning the uncertainty of decision-making into a strategic advantage that serves both organizational growth and the well-being of its members.

How to Cultivate Data-Informed Decision-Making Skills Throughout the Entire Organization

Business is moving faster than ever before, and to remain competitive, organizations need employees at every level to develop their informed decision-making skills.

Harvard Kennedy School Professor Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio is showing leaders a transformative new approach that empowers an entire organization to leverage data in making smarter, more agile choices.

Also, a behavioral and data scientist, Cecchi-Dimeglio’s strategies teach leaders how to utilize organizational data to drive efficiency and innovation, ensure diversity of thought, and create unbiased talent systems.

The result is a comprehensive plan that allows businesses to diversify innovation and harness the collective intelligence of their workforce.

An experienced executive educator, Cecchi-Dimeglio equips teams and individuals with the tools to move beyond intuition to a data-driven approach that serves both organizational growth and the advancement of diversity within the industry.

Harnessing Strategic Nudges: Guiding Decisions for Organizational Success

When leading a global organization into the future, it’s crucial to understand the different ways people approach decisions around the world.

According to behavioral and data scientist and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, this key knowledge enables organizations to gently guide employees towards choices that serve both their individual well-being and long-term corporate objectives.

From establishing DEI initiatives to enacting new corporate policies, Cecchi-Dimeglio unveils practical strategies for employing small, tailored behavioral nudges, such as well-timed meeting invitations and targeted questions, that can create a harmonious alignment between employee actions and organizational goals.

Whether improving talent strategy or refining data planning, her insights equip leaders with the tools to make wise choices that resonate with their goals.