Becoming Data Fluent: Collaborate and Grow
Recently, I published a short blog post on how analysts can upskill in the age of AI to remain relevant and lead with data. I want to dive a little deeper into each of the ideas with practical ways we as analysts can build the skills we need for the future.
In this post, I’ll explore how building strong relationships can help us stay relevant, grow our skills, and make a greater impact. And, include practical ways we can put these suggestions into action. These are all things I do to grow in my career and maintain my passion for data.
Work cross-functionally within our roles and organizations
We work with all kinds of people, whether self-employed or working for an organization. Within these our roles, there are key people that can help us excel in completing our work. Getting to know the network of data owners, stewards and end users will help our analytical projects stand out from others.
Reach out to data owners and make connections with them. Ask about the data, their areas of expertise and even their personal interests (if you’re feeling comfortable sharing). Getting to know the people that create, store and manage the data can be critical. When we get to know data creating colleagues, we build trust. That trust can come in very handy when data needs attention, when we want to implement a new process or when we need support.
Data shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. It comes from processes and systems that are maintained by people. As you explore different data sources and fulfill analytical requests, take the time to talk to the people requesting your support.
Apply these skills:
Use tools like a stakeholder map to understand how the people and processes are connected.
Keep a few minutes at the end of a meeting for small talk.
Book a follow up “coffee chat” (either virtual or in person) with key stakeholders to get to know them better. Let the conversation flow naturally or use some probing questions to get things moving.
Share our knowledge and learn from others
You may have heard we learn better when teaching others. By engaging with and learning from the people around us, our skills improve naturally.
Teach a colleague or friend about data. When completing our projects or exploring data for the fun of it (analysts know), talk about it! If you find yourself on a call with someone who has questions about the data or your work double down! Teach them about the analytics, help them understand how the visuals support the story and allow them to follow their own line of questioning. When teaching we hear ourselves repeating what we know which improves our retention. In addition, it reveals gaps in our knowledge that we might have otherwise missed.
Ask for help. Learning from others can feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we want to know it all and be seen as expert, but true experts take every opportunity to learn. I’ve adopted a mantra that can help us stay positive about learning. “I don’t know everything, but I have all of the tools I need to learn anything.” It takes away any embarrassement or discomfort about my knowledge gaps and reminds me that there are so many resources available to take on knowledge. The people around us are a key resource.
Apply these skills:
Volunteer to host a lunch and learn and talk about our skills.
Write short internal posts, contribute to a data newsletter or participate in a community of practice.
Meet up with more experienced analysts to learn about their skills and projects.
Build relationships that help us better understand the world
As mentioned, data doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s produced by, reflects and impacts the world around us. Expanding your network helps you understand the world better. As analysts, we must be wary of our own baises and exploring different perspectives (with a healthy dose of introspection) lets us grow.
Building relationships with diverse people lets us explore and grow beyond our assumptions. If we’re always talking to the same groups or participating in the same forums, we find ourselves in an echo chamber that only deepens our risk of maintaining our biases.
Be open minded about communication. Sometimes, we will be rejected when offering to connect with someone. They may not see a need for the connection or may not have time to entertain new social connections. If we reach out and someone says “not right now”, you can try to connect again in future. If it’s a definitive no, don’t press the issue. If we’re active in building our networks, more opportunities will arise anyways.
Expanding our social circles helps strengthen our storytelling skills. Data becomes compelling when it’s paired with stories and lived experiences. Hearing others’ stories can help us craft compelling narratives to engage our audiences. It can teach us new vocabulary and business acumen skills that we may have otherwise missed.
Apply these skills:
Attend meetups or webinars on topics outside of our usual domain.
Follow thought leaders from different industries and background for quick insights.
Actively seek out connection with people who have different experiences to ours.
Read, read and read some more. Read anything and everything to expand our minds.
Care for ourselves and our communities
When we think of “relationships” we often think of the friendships and connections we have with the people around us. But we need to include the relationship we have with ourselves in this list to really become a leader.
We can take the time to get to know ourselves. Ask yourself, what are my goals? What roles and work have inspired me and kept me engaged? What do I want to do more of in life? Less of? By building relationships with ourselves we can guide our careers and make decisions leading to better experiences.
In caring for ourselves, we can also connect with our communities. Once we know what brings us the greatest inspiration, we can reach out to others in those communities and start building genuine connections, which support the previous points in this post! As analysts, we also have a skillset that we can share with non-profits and organizations that may not have funding for a full time analyst, but that could greatly benefit from some data support. How can we use our data skills for good?
Apply these skills:
Care for ourselves first. We can’t be our best if we don’t do the basics. Eat well, exercise, practice your hobbies, rest.
Schedule time to regularly reflect on our goals and ensure we’re doing the things we need to achieve them.
Look for volunteer opportunities that align with our goals so that we can make a meaningful difference in our communities.
Post conceived of by Justeen Gales and written with the support of Microsoft Copilot