Critical Skills for Analytics
April 23, 2014 12:00 AM
Through 2017, compensation for professionals with big data and related analytic skill sets will remain 20-30 percent higher than for other business skills, Rozwell said. And, for a successful program, it takes a variety of critical skills, which can be exemplified in seven different types of people.
Storytellers
A storyteller is someone who has done the analysis and can take the numbers, facts, figures and visuals and use them to help a business person understand what they are and how they can be applied.
Artisans
This person should be able to draw pictures and visualize data for greater insights.
Behaviorist and Anthropologists
It is important to understand human foibles and idiosyncrasies as well as be aware of instinctive reactions. This person helps identify and mitigate any perceived threat in the data and inherent biases.
Detectives
The detective demonstrates passion for ferreting out the truth, even when the information is not evident. Every data set inherently has bias; the detective is essential to ensuring there is enough data and good models in order to present a reasonable picture of the truth.
Philosophers
The philosopher possesses the ability to deal with ambiguity. We may have a snapshot of a point in time, but that may change as more becomes available.
Jazz Musicians and Improv Actors
The key skill of these people is that they work well with others. These people are great communicators who express concepts clearly and concisely and have the ability to integrate, with open, free-form rifting off each other.
Conductors
The conductor possesses the ability to bring a lot of people together and focus on key business outcomes.
Competition for talent will make or break success in the world of digital business
The knowledge and competencies required for a digital business differ from those for a traditional business. When considering skills to bolster your team, Rozwell recommends to think about what youre trying to accomplish. Are you trying to grow revenue, reduce costs, mitigate risks or innovate? The most critical question to consider is how the data will be used by the person requesting it. This slideshow has been republished with permission from Information Management. See also: The 5 Characteristics of Highly Effective Digital Insurance Leaders.