helping you master customer insight leadership

Tips from experience: Protecting your less appreciated technical stars

technical stars

Having given plenty of airtime to the benefit of books & podcasts, I’d like to turn to tips from experience. These are lessons learnt by leaders from practical on-the-job experience. Often involving getting it wrong. In this post, I’ll share my advice on protecting your less appreciated technical stars.

Let me explain what I mean by a couple of those terms. By ‘less appreciated‘, I mean team members who may not be respected outside of your team. Those who might suffer during an annual performance management cycle. (more…)

Data Science collaboration between universities & businesses = Scotland

collaboration between universities & businesses

As a break from our focus on books, I want to return to the topic of Data Science collaboration between universities & businesses. When it works well, it can make such a difference to both students’ development & business talent pipelines.

In many ways the topics are not disconnected. Books, like collaboration between universities & businesses, are conduits to learning & mutual understanding. To be strategic, analytics leaders need to think about long-term people development plans, not just annual PDPs.

The prompt (to me sharing this plea), was the latest press release from MBN Solutions. I share it in full below (with my comments), as it shows what is being achieved in Scotland. We’ve mentioned before the positive progress being achieved by Data Lab, MBN and others. (more…)

Thoughts from the tsunami of repermissioning emails (part 2 of 2)

Tsunami of repermissioning

How are you coping with the tsunami of repermissioning emails? Have they filled your InBox yet?

Before we all get sick of them and let inertia reduce our subscriptions (providing consent is being sought), let’s return to our review of these communications. In part 1 of this series, I reviewed a number of emails that I’d received from suppliers to my business. A mixture of those seeking consent (informed opt-in) and those just confirming a legitimate interest basis for holding my data.

But, as you have no doubt already experienced, GDPR is not just for work – it follows you home as well. In fact, many would say that the increased protection for your rights as a citizen, is the key benefit of GDPR. So, in part 2, I will review a number of GDPR related emails that I’ve received as a consumer. (more…)

Learning from the tsunami of repermissioning emails (part 1 of 2)

repermissioning emails

Back last year, when sharing research on data sharing & trust, I predicted a coming ‘tsunami’ of repermissioning emails by businesses.

I’m sure you are already experiencing that. It probably feels like a reminder of your diverse interests, as so many brands contact you. Some may have a strong customer relationship with you, others you may not remember ever using. Either way, there appears to be a real mixture in the quality & approach of these communications.

As recommended in our two-part series of preparing for GDPR, some are relying on a legitimate interest basis for existing customers. Others are not. (more…)

Ready for GDPR? No? Don’t panic, keep calm & check this now

Ready for GDPR

The time is almost upon us, are you ready for GDPR? No? Well join the queue.

It seems the norm, amongst the leaders & analysts I meet, to feel under-prepared. Despite what has been a two-year, preparation period, most organisations are not ready.

But, that doesn’t mean you need to panic. As with most challenges in business life, the worst reaction is panic. Whether that is being like an ostrich (with head in the sand, denial), or like a headless chicken (running around achieving nothing). (more…)

Why Customer Insight teams should learn from Design teams

learn from design teams

Listening to a Digital UX Design leader this week, I was struck by how much Insight teams can learn from Design teams.

I had the privilege of speaking at a Marcus Evans conference on West India Quay in London. “Optimise User Experience and Digital Design to Increase Customer Centricity for Financial Institutions“. That must be the (crazily) longest event name I’ve ever attended!

Anyway, before I shared on softer skills, Kara Towner-Larsen from Nordea was speaking. She spoke on “Lessons from the Digital and Cultural transformation of Nordea”. I found myself nodding frequently. (more…)

How I’m getting on with, and up for, my first Standing Desk

Standing DeskAs a break from our focus on Data Scientists, let me share my experience with my new Standing Desk.

I’m sure you’ve seen all the media coverage on the need for us to stand more.

From the US tabloid headline, “Sitting is the new Smoking“, to more scientific evidence as to the benefits of standing more & sitting less.

Having previously benefitted from embracing the evidence for how Mindfulness and Life Plans can improve your productivity, I was motivated to try another change.

After all, ideas to improve the way you work, has become a recurrent theme on this blog. (more…)