Data Radicals

We spend our lives surrounded by stories—the ones we hear, read, and watch. Stories are how we learn how to navigate life. Some have played a major role in pivoting how entire industries approach storytelling like The Sixth Sense movie and maybe, if you listen to today’s episode, your next work presentation.Today, we’re hearing from Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Founder and CEO of storytelling with data. She shares her tips and tricks for data radicals venturing into the world of data storytelling. We’ll learn how to better understand your audience, what makes a data story captivating, how to improve your public speaking skills and much more. --------"There is so much potential for the person who has strong technical skills and can speak in ways that make other people feel engaged and attentive. People will pay more attention to your data if you can talk to them in ways that make them want to keep participating and become part of that discussion." - Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic--------Time Stamps* (0:00) What The Sixth Sense teaches us about data* (3:13) Understanding your audience* (4:45) Building blocks of a compelling data story * (12:16) Why data enthusiasts need strong public speaking skills* (15:28) The secret to being a great data storyteller* (20:50) The importance of feedback--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Alation.Learn more:* Data Radicals: https://www.alation.com/podcast/* Alation’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alation/* Satyen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssangani/--------LinksConnect with Cole on LinkedInCheck out storytelling with data

Communication—or lack thereof—tends to be at the core of most of life’s issues. Although most of us know this, few of us set out to create systems to address the problem. Today, we’re learning from two people who did:  L.L. Zamenhof and Bob Seiner.L.L. Zamenhof saw the crucial role words played in dividing people, and wanted to create a language that would unify the world. His language, Esperanto, was born, but unfortunately didn’t catch on. Bob Seiner, President & Principal of KIK Consulting, on the other hand, has had more success. He has seen how miscommunication has negatively impacted how organizations handle data and data governance, and has worked to improve their processes and revolutionize their workflows. Today, he shares his insights with us. You won’t want to miss it.--------"Most organizations think that governance has to be top down, but there is an alternative approach. You can look to leverage things that already exist within your environment first and then apply the heavy-handedness wherever you need to." - Bob Seiner--------Time Stamps* (0:00) What’s Esperanto, and why aren’t we speaking it?* (4:05) How to communicate about data* (8:16) Why your organization is struggling to share data* (11:17) Understanding data governance* (14:27) How to improve data governance at your company* (17:56) The three O’s of data* (20:01) Creating a data culture* (22:03) The future of data--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Alation.Learn more:* Data Radicals: https://www.alation.com/podcast/* Alation’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alation/* Satyen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssangani/--------LinksConnect with Bob on LinkedInCheck out KIK Consulting

You may not realize it, but data literacy is an issue that affects everyone. From the mom-and-pop shop around the corner to the Fortune 500 C-suite, everyone has skin in the game. Yet, how to teach data literacy is still not widely understood or prioritized by data leaders. That needs to change, and the first step is listening to today’s episode.We’re talking with Jennifer Belissent, Principal Data Strategist at Snowflake, about tackling data literacy. She shares how data literacy impacts everything from smart cities, to your local grocery store, to your corner office. Tune in to learn how you can use data literacy to build your own data culture, have a lens into your customer's behavior, increase productivity, and much more.--------"Many people are not comfortable with data. We've created the haves and have-nots within an organization. We need to make sure that data literacy programs are inclusive. " - Jennifer Belissent--------Time Stamps* (0:00) What’s happening with data literacy today* (3:28) The inevitability of smart cities* (5:34) Data serves as a lens into people’s behavior* (9:05) How to approach data literacy* (17:04) The CDO’s role in data literacy* (22:55) Creating a data culture* (27:44) Teaching your employees data literacy--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Alation.Learn more:* Data Radicals: https://www.alation.com/podcast/* Alation’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alation/* Satyen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssangani/--------LinksConnect with Jennifer on LinkedInCheck out Snowflake

Growing up, we’re all asked what we want to be when we’re older. Our answer is normally met with an explanation of the years of education and dedication we’ll have to go through to get there. Whether it’s trade school, medical school, a PhD, or apprenticeship, we start to understand that we’ll need years of specialized training to get to where we want to be. But what if that whole way of thinking is wrong? Today, we’re learning to completely shift our approach to the understanding of expertise. Our guest is David Epstein, bestselling author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance. He shares why you should shift your focus from being a specialist to a generalist, and how that can exponentially increase your odds for success. You won’t want to miss it.--------"The people who are good forecasters sometimes have an area of specialty, sometimes they don't, but more important than what they think, is how they think." - David Epstein--------Time Stamps* (0:00) How Satyen became a generalist* (2:52) Why IQ tests aren’t as helpful as you think* (5:53) What makes an environment kind or wicked* (13:23) Getting comfortable with sporadic success* (18:31) The perks of generalization* (22:57) The shortcomings of specialization* (26:36) What we can learn from Vincent Van Gogh--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Alation.Learn more:* Data Radicals: https://www.alation.com/podcast/* Alation’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alation/* Satyen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssangani/--------LinksConnect with David on LinkedInCheck out David's website

Data confers immense power. With it, we can transform the world as we know it. But, despite all that potential—too few people know how to wield data. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day. Saul Alinsky famously said “If people don’t think they have the power to solve their problems, they won’t even think about how to solve them.” Translating that information into meaning is one of the most significant challenges of our time. We believe it’s the key to addressing our most pressing issues, from climate change to global inequality.  Many of us see this as an opportunity: How do we teach more people to leverage data? This show is called Data Radicals, hosted by Satyen Sangani, CEO of Alation. Join us on this journey as we engage data leaders, academics and analysts from all walks of life. We’ll be featuring the stories of the culture builders and truth-seekers who are doing big things with data. Whether you’re a Chief Data Officer, a young data analyst on the path to the C-suite, or a data fanatic who wants to learn from today’s change makers - this podcast is for you. So tap the follow button, and get ready to hear from some of the most innovative minds in the world of data. Welcome to Data Radicals. Powered by the team at Alation.-------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Alation.Learn more:* Data Radicals: https://www.alation.com/podcast/* Alation’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alation/* Satyen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssangani/