warming up to analytics

Warming Up to AnalyticsGregory Lewandowski@lewandog

Gregory Lewandowski (@lewandog)Chief Solutions Officer at Icimo (Data Kingpin)

Icimo• Customers, Staff• Training• CoE’s• Enterprises

Cisco - 16 Yrs at Cisco• Sales, Operations, Finance, IT• 14 Yrs focused on BI• Tableau Patient Zero

Data Leadership

“When you empower users to answer their own questions,you transform the user-data relationship.”

The people closest to the data should work with the data

1983 – The World Changed

1983 - The World Changed• Net new category of tools which made it easier for those who

know the data to work with it…• Forced changes in roles, processes and people• Validation / catalyst of the personal computer• Led to Excel, the most widely used BI tool in the world

• Characteristics• Simple• Fast• Less coding

Today - The World Changed (Again)

• Net new category of tools which makes it easier for those who know the data to work with it…• Forced changes in roles, processes and people• Disrupting traditional BI

• Characteristics• Simple• Fast• Less coding more canvas• Instant feedback

Opportunity

Gartner

Creating Success

Training

Support

Community Trust

Transparency

The New Analyst

Communication

CFO says to the CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?”

CEO to CFO: “What happens if we don’t and they stay?”

Training - Make people successful

Data Producer• Terminology• Navigating the Canvas• How-To• Questioning (consulting)• Communication• Data Visualization• Dashboarding• Storytelling

• Support• Resources

Training - Make people successful

Data Consumer• Terminology• Navigation• Functionality• Interactions (filtering & highlighting)

• Support• Resources

REPEAT

Being the BI Superhero,

does NOT qualify you to

train others!!

DON’T BE A NICK!!

Support• Education, or access to…

• Responsiveness

• No aliases, use real names

• Language – proper level

• Attitude – be helpful

• Create a community to act as 1st line support

CommunityCommunity

Provide a place where people can share, help, and compete

Community

Enable Success

Community

• Blogs – Internal and External• Links• Social Media• Books – reviews, links to buy, library• Message Boards• Community support aliases• Communication• No Zombie Communities!!

Trust

Trust – Know Your Roles…and stay on your side (mostly)

Business• Analysis• Business Acumen• Build / Design• Audience• Quality – DataViz, Usability• Deployment• Learning and Development

Technical• HW and SW Management• Performance• Support• Unobtrusive Governance• Process• System

Data Supply ChainDeliveryGovernance Execution

Data Supply ChainAcquisitionGovernance Accountability

Transparency

Transparency• Measurement• Performance• Consumption

• Rules and Expectations of proper usage• Mutual Agreement• Consequences

• Pricing• Flexibility• Communication No Surprises

The New Analyst

The New Analyst

Characteristics:

• Curiosity – Why?• Passionate & Tenacious• Collaborative• Basement to Board Room• Anticipate

• Continuous Learner• Troublesome• Communication – Visual & Oral

Academic ExperientialTechnical

The Ideal Analyst

Academic Technical Experiential

The Ideal Analyst

20% 60%20%

Communication

StorytellingStory (noun) is defined as _“An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment.”

Important

Detail

CharacterPlotConflictClimaxPerspective

DataViz

Lessons Learned• Flexibility – Do NOT stick with something just because is has

been defined as “The Process”• Hire for attitude, more than aptitude || Hire roles, not people• Don’t be a Nick• Sometimes it is about the tool• Communication skills are more important than you think• Use any productivity gains to accomplish those strategic goals

you rarely get a chance to work on• Market your success• Analytics is not simply about answering questions, it is also

about aiding people in articulating the questions they do not yet know they have…

Get out of the comfort zone…accept that the world has changed, and figure out how you will succeed!!

Enjoy the

Ride!!