helping you master customer insight leadership

You can lead a horse to insights but you can’t make it execute

execute

Continuing our popular series on how to deliver or execute on insights, I’m delighted to welcome back guest blogger Annette Franz.

From her experience as a CX leader, advisor & blogger, she knows the critical need for customer insight & understanding to guide CX. You may recall that Annette has shared with us previously on Voice of Customer programmes & how to become a data-led business.

So, I’m pleased to read that she has turned her attention to the challenge of getting people to act on insights.

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Why you need Rebel Ideas within your Data Science team

Rebel Ideas

Building on our continued focus on getting work delivered, what’s the role of rebel ideas?

Many miles of copy have been written on the advantages of diverse teams. But all too often this thinking is only skin deep. That is it focusses on racial, gender & sexual orientation diversity.

There can be a lot more benefit in having team members who actually think differently. What is called Cognitive Diversity. I’ve seen that in both the teams I’ve lead and at my clients’ offices. So, when regular guest blogger Harry Powell approached me with his latest book review, I was sold.

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The vital need for accountability to deliver Customer Insight

accountability

As we continue our focus on execution and delivering insight, let’s turn our attention to the need for accountability.

I was reminded of the vital need for this in teams when reading a post for CX leaders from Ian Golding. Ian is an international CX specialist, speaker & blogger. He previously shared his research on the state of Customer Centricity.

So, I’m delighted to welcome Ian back to share on the need for Customer Insight leaders to ensure accountability. He is sharing his post focussed on Customer Experience (CX) leaders – but the principle is just as true for Customer Insight, Analytics & Data Science leaders. So, I hope you find it relevant.

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How to avoid stakeholder disappointment when you deliver your analysis

disappointment

Have you experienced senior stakeholder disappointment, or at least lack of enthusiasm, when you present your analysis?

I know it’s an all too common experience for analysts, data scientists and their leaders? Why is that? What has gone wrong?

To help us explore that, I’m delighted to welcome back guest blogger Harry Powell. Harry is the Director of Data & Analytics for Jaguar Land Rover. He has shared with us before, both on solving the Productivity Puzzle and what he learnt from an Alan Turing Society lecture.

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Why you need the 4 Disciplines of Execution in Analytics

execution

When I talk with Data & Analytics leaders, a common challenge they mention is with execution. Getting work delivered & acted upon or implemented.

So much good thinking & methodology during the early stages & technical development can be wasted by final execution.

For that reason, I thought it would be helpful to share another book that I recommend. One that many others recommended to me. “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey & Jim Huling.

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Can you solve the Productivity Puzzle for Analytics teams?

Productivity Puzzle

Many data & analytics leaders face something of a productivity puzzle.

Often they have joined a new business or inherited a team & are unsure how to improve productivity. Individuals appear to be working hard, but progress can be slow and quality questionable.

If this is not addressed then it can become toxic to the team’s reputation in that business. People soon learn where to go to “get things done” and if that is not seen as the Data/Analytics/Insight team then they will go elsewhere.

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Web Analytics an hour a day, how this book can improve your analysis

web analytics

Continuing our theme of Analytics books, here is a book focussed on web analytics.

However, the application of this practical book is much broader than just digital analysis. To explain why & to summarise the tips that have stayed with him, I am delighted to welcome back guest blogger Martin Squires.

Martin has written before on the importance of analysts and was one of our guests for our audio interview series. With his extensive experience of leading analytics teams & developing analysts it is interesting to hear his recommended book.

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