#238: The Many Problems in Dealing with Data Problems
Feb 6, 2024
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The podcast discusses the challenges analysts face in dealing with data problems, including insufficient information, data quality issues, and cultural differences. Effective communication and building relationships are key when addressing these problems. The hosts also explore the challenges of locating and fixing data problems, as well as the growing complexity of AI processes. They conclude by reflecting on their podcast recommendations and expressing gratitude for fulfilling career experiences.
Clear and detailed communication is crucial when handling business partners' reports of issues in analytics, requiring proactive communication, asking the right questions, and setting expectations with stakeholders.
Fostering a culture of understanding and collaboration is essential to avoid blame-shifting and ensure the analytics team is supported when fixing issues, emphasizing the need for organizations to trust and approach problem-solving as a united team.
Deep dives
The Underrated Aspect of Analytics: Handling Business Partners' Reports of Issues
One of the main points discussed in this podcast is the importance of effectively handling business partners' reports of issues in analytics. The hosts share personal experiences of receiving vague or incomplete screenshots or messages about broken reports and highlight the need for clear and detailed information to accurately identify and resolve the problems. They emphasize the role of proactive communication, asking the right questions, and setting expectations with stakeholders to streamline the troubleshooting process. Additionally, they discuss the cultural differences in organizations when it comes to finger-pointing or embracing a team-focused approach to problem-solving.
Building Trust and Maintaining Reputation in Analytics
The podcast delves into the challenges faced by analytics teams when fixing issues and how it can impact their reputation and credibility. They mention instances where problems were not solely caused by the analytics team, yet they were the ones held accountable. The hosts emphasize the importance of fostering a culture that understands the complexities of data and the collaborative effort required to ensure its accuracy. They discuss the need for organizations to trust in the efforts of the analytics team and approach problem-solving as a united team rather than resorting to blame-shifting.
Effective Communication in Resolving Data Issues
The podcast highlights the significance of effective communication in resolving data issues. They discuss the challenges analysts face in clearly and concisely explaining complex problems and their solutions to stakeholders. The hosts share insights on crafting detailed emails or presentations to communicate the problem, its impact, and the steps being taken to fix it. They stress the importance of avoiding unnecessary technical jargon and focusing on delivering meaningful updates that address stakeholders' concerns.
Future Challenges in Resolving Data Problems
The podcast also touches upon the increasing complexity of data problems and the challenges they may present in the future. They mention the potential difficulties in explaining issues related to models, as explainability may decrease with the use of more advanced AI systems. The hosts discuss the importance of thorough documentation, ongoing education, and proactive strategies to address these future complexities.
The data has problems. It ALWAYS has problems. Sometimes they're longstanding and well-documented issues that the analyst deeply understands but that regularly trip up business partners. Sometimes they're unexpected interruptions in the data flowing through a complex tech stack. Sometimes they're a dashboard that needs to have its logic tweaked when the calendar rolls into a new year. The analyst often finds herself on point with any and all data problems—identifying an issue when conducting an analysis, receiving an alert about a broken data feed, or simply getting sent a screen capture by a business partner calling out that something looks off in a chart. It takes situational skill and well-tuned judgment calls to figure out what to communicate and when and to whom when any of these happen. And if you don't find some really useful perspectives from Julie, Michael, and Moe on this episode, then we might just have a problem with YOU! (Not really.) For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
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