Securing Your Role as an Analyst in Decision-Making
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Chapter 1: The Analyst's Journey
When I first began my career as an analyst, the most exasperating aspect was frequently responding to ad hoc data requests. I often felt sidelined from the discussions and decisions occurring around me. Instead of being involved in strategic planning, I found myself busy creating dashboards and compiling data visualizations for stakeholders to use in their upcoming meetings.
"Could you quickly analyze interactions with this button by device type?"
What I truly aspired to do was to influence our strategic direction rather than merely assess the outcomes of decisions made by others. In this piece, I will outline several strategies that helped me "earn my seat at the table" and focus on the initiatives that genuinely intrigued me.
Section 1.1: The Role of Data Requests
Becoming the go-to person for ad hoc inquiries can happen swiftly for analysts, as there are often more questions than available answers. Soon, we can find ourselves overwhelmed with pressing inquiries.
While supporting stakeholders and delivering necessary information is an essential part of an analyst's role, solely responding to data requests can be unfulfilling and fails to maximize the potential of the analytics function within the organization. Analysts should strive to be part of the ongoing discussions within their teams, guiding efforts that lead to meaningful impact.
Subsection 1.1.1: Understanding vs. Execution Mode
Analysts generally operate in two distinct modes: understanding mode and execution mode.
In understanding mode, the focus is on conducting in-depth analyses to gain insights into specific areas of the business or product. Examples of work in this mode include:
- Retention Analysis: Assessing user retention and identifying key improvement opportunities.
- Funnel Analysis: Spotting areas within the product funnel that could enhance user conversion rates.
- Surface Engagement Analysis: Analyzing how users interact with a specific interface and exploring ways to optimize the experience.
Once the team begins implementing actionable strategies based on these findings, we transition into execution mode. In this phase, analysts assist in conducting experiments, addressing ad hoc requests, and guiding the team on which features to prioritize based on experimental outcomes.
Section 1.2: Building Expertise through Understanding Work
Engaging in understanding work is the most effective way to cultivate influence and become the go-to expert in a relevant business area. By focusing on a high-priority topic, you increase your chances of being invited to meetings and sought after for advice.
Identifying Relevant Topics
As mentioned, understanding work can take various paths. The initial step is to determine the current focus of your leadership team. Analysts typically possess a broad perspective across different teams and their respective priorities, enabling them to pinpoint the most critical issues worth exploring. If you are new to a team, introductory discussions can be invaluable for grasping current priorities and pain points.
Your understanding work should ideally yield insights and recommendations that resonate across multiple teams, thereby broadening your influence.
Are there concerns about high user churn? A retention analysis could pave the way for a robust strategy. Does a team lack a clear action plan to boost conversion rates on a particular page? A surface engagement analysis might reveal key elements that facilitate user purchasing decisions.
Section 1.3: Crafting a Clear Strategy and Communicating Insights
To capture attention, your understanding work must be both relevant and actionable. This involves not only presenting a clear picture of the current state but also outlining potential opportunities and strategies for leveraging them.
For instance, if an e-commerce platform is struggling to onboard new users, a funnel analysis might reveal the following insights and recommendations:
- Current State: Only 40% of sign-up attempts on the Login Screen succeed.
- Opportunity: Google login boasts a 50% higher success rate than email sign-ups but is only utilized 10% of the time.
- Recommendation: Elevate Google login as the primary option by positioning it at the top of the Login Screen.
Effectively communicating these findings to relevant stakeholders is crucial. Tagging appropriate individuals in your analysis documents or sending tailored summaries to team leaders can enhance your visibility.
Chapter 2: Embracing Previous Analyses
Encountering the phrase, "We've already investigated this," can be disheartening when seeking new avenues for exploration. In larger organizations, identifying a valuable understanding topic can be challenging, as it often feels like someone has already examined any area of interest.
However, there is always something to explore. Understanding work is time-intensive, and long-standing team members are typically preoccupied with daily responsibilities. Consequently, many areas may remain unexamined, or existing analyses might be outdated, providing an excellent foundation for new inquiries.
Section 2.1: Managing Ad Hoc Requests Wisely
While tackling strategic issues is rewarding, it can also consume a significant portion of your time. At the same time, addressing ad hoc requests remains a vital aspect of an analyst's role, necessitating smart workload management.
Rather than shying away from data requests, it's essential to focus on those that will yield actionable insights. This article offers a comprehensive overview of effectively managing ad hoc data inquiries.
Conclusion
In my experience, analysts deliver the most value to an organization when they are integrated into the decision-making process from the outset, guiding business strategy in a constructive direction. Securing a seat at the table often requires initiative. By developing expertise in the most relevant areas for the business, analysts can ensure they are part of the critical conversations shaping their organizations.