helping you master the people side of data & analytics

Don’t allow your insight to be locked down & isolated from your marketing

Insight to be locked down

Continuing our theme of choosing your technology stack, here is a useful reminder to not allow your insight to be locked down.

By that term, I mean the insights and models produced by analytics or data science teams. Often these are intended to improve the performance of marketing communications or improve the appearance of personalisation.

In this post, Marketing Operations expert Simon Daniels reminds us that these need to be delivered to Marketing in a way that works. Otherwise good quality technical works risks being locked down & isolated from use elsewhere in your business.

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You need more time to think, how this book can unleash it

More Time to Think

Having read the prequel over twenty years ago, I was fascinated to find what I’d learn from “More time to think” by Nancy Kline. This book was written over a decade ago now, so I’ve been procrastinating, wondering what else there was to learn about this approach. How wrong I was.

This is such a powerful book. One that could be potentially transformative, both for leaders and everyone else. In fact, I prefer this sequel to the original as Nancy is able to share so much that has been learnt in practice.

Nancy Kline has dedicated her life to the cause of helping others think better. As an author, speaker, coach, mentor, trainer & consultant, this clarity of purpose has served her well. I rarely meet another coach who has not been inspired by her writing or classes.

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Which data visualisation tool to use in your technology stack

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was encouraged to see the votes for a data visualisation tool as a priority. Clearly most of our readers believe that data leaders need to understand this element of their technology stack.

That makes sense given the explosion of interest and progress being made in improving charts. Many of our previous posts on this blog have been in response to interest from our audience. For those of you keen to learn more, check out the recommended books:

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Interim results of our data leaders’ Technology Stack poll

Technology Stack poll

Many thanks to all those who participated in our Technology Stack poll for data leaders. In that single question survey, we asked which elements in the technology stack data leaders need to understand. Now we have some interim results to share.

As explained more fully with that poll, our interest is in which technology data leaders need to understand sufficiently to make informed decisions. So, we are not encouraging micromanagement or hands-on involvement. What we are interested in is the technology that is so important that selection decisions should involve the data leader.

Since then, Tony Boobier has challenged us to be clear what we mean by the term data leader. For this poll, I’m assuming it is what Tony would call ‘data leaders‘ not ‘data-driven leaders‘. Francesco Corea has also joined the debate with his advice on how to make technology stack selections. I hope that advice helps you if you are nudged by the results below, e.g. to focus on an overlooked element.

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Could Very Brief Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (VBCBC) help you?

VBCBC

As a break from our recent focus on a technology poll, let me share the benefit of Very Brief Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (VBCBC). Specifically the value of a book on this subject from leading academic and experienced coach, Windy Dryden.

Regular readers will recall that from time to time I share posts on coaching practice, the coaching community and books that can help. As a practising leadership coach, I share these partly because of my own interest. But I also hope they inspire both fellow coaches & potential coachees.

There are a wealth of different approaches to effective coaching and over the years I’ve seen the value of listening to each. Previous posts have shared on Narrative Coaching, the Integrated Leadership Model & the Thinking Environment. In this post, I turn my attention to the benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Coaching within a very limited time period.

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How to choose the elements that should make up your tech stack

choosing the elements

It seems my question about the technology stack has prompted several other questions, now we focus on how to choose the elements.

Following on from Tony Boobier challenging us to be clear on which type of data leader, guest blogger Francesco Corea returns. Francesco is the research lead at venture capital firm Balderton Capital, as well as an advisor & blogger on all things AI. He has shared with us before on InsurTech and useful AI event in Berlin.

In this post, Francesco shares lessons that he learnt when thinking through how to choose the technology stack for venture capital firms. I think the advice he gives in this post reads across well to what data & analytics leaders also need to consider.

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Technology stack question – first answer which type of data leader?

type of data leaders

Starting our quest for answers to the question I posed about the technology stack, let’s begin by thinking about which type of data leader?

Guest blogger Tony Boobier replied to my question by approaching it from a different perspective. Tony has shared his different take on familiar topics before. He shared these views with us on goals, data viz and training. Regular readers will recall that Tony is an author & advisor focusing on AI & Financial Services.

In this post, he usefully prompts us to think about two types of data leaders and the different levels of understanding of the technology stack that each need. What matters most to each? How realistic is it for any leader to understand each part? Over to Tony to help us think that through…

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