At the end of the day, an analysis project is only as good as the people doing the analyzing. But how do you build a data analytics dream team that performs well again and again? The basic principle is simple. Look for people who have a profound understanding of what they should be looking for, people who know what technology is available to help them achieve the goal, and people who are proficient with that technology.
Understanding the Goal
Your data analytics team should have a clearly defined goal that you determine. Big data is vast and can be looked at from multiple angles. Each of those angles can highlight different needs or courses of action that may need to be pursued. Unless your team has a specific outcome, purpose or target data point that they are looking for, they may never find anything of use for your organization.
This can be compared to setting off on a journey with no clear destination. Without a destination, a map and a sense of direction, time and energy will be wasted and targets will never be reached.
Communicating your organization’s needs to your data analytics team is also central to making sure they understand the ultimate goal. Surprisingly, however, even the best communicators won’t be able to get the message across to certain people. There are those in the recruitment business—or for that matter, any business—who are so mired in the old ways that they will give lip service to clients and managers, all the while fully intending to do things the way they’ve always done.
To ensure that your data analytics team fully understands your organizational needs and future goals, implement these communication strategies: