TRANSKRIP 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.200
Welcome to The Quietly Ambitious Analyst, a podcast about data,
2
00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:08.039
communication and business. I'm Seth Forbes, and in each episode
3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:11.880
will unpack when it really takes to influence decisions with data,
4
00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:17.079
from framing business problems to communicating insights with confidence, because
5
00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:21.079
data alone doesn't drive change people do. When I first
6
00:00:21.079 --> 00:00:25.280
started out in analytics, I thought speed was everything.
7
00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.640
I was the yes report runner. I prided myself on
8
00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:33.280
being fast, efficient, helpful. I thought if I delivered quickly
9
00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.200
that people would trust me more and need me more.
10
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.600
And so I was chasing this sense of validation that
11
00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:42.200
we all crave when we're trying to prove that we
12
00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.399
belong somewhere. So when my manager would ask me for something,
13
00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:49.719
whether it's pulling numbers, building a table, refreshing a report,
14
00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:54.079
whatever it was, I would immediately jump in. Didn't pause,
15
00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:58.000
I didn't ask questions. I just went into execution mode.
16
00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:00.240
And for a while that seemed like it was the
17
00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.119
right thing to do, until it wasn't because I started
18
00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.879
noticing a pattern. I'd deliver something quickly, only to get
19
00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:10.400
a message back saying I only needed this for new customers,
20
00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:14.640
or can you actually rerun it? Filtered by region A
21
00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.719
instead of region B or this is very interesting, but
22
00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:21.319
it's not quite what I meant. And what followed was
23
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:25.719
always the same thing, reworking the analysis. Every single time
24
00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:29.159
I'd pull another version, resend it, and try it again.
25
00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.480
I started to feel like I was never quite getting
26
00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:35.439
it right, like I was technically doing my job, but
27
00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:40.159
I wasn't actually helping anybody. And what made this worse
28
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:43.079
was that I really wanted to be trusted. I wanted
29
00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.560
to be seen as someone who understands the business, but
30
00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:50.040
in reality I was acting like a vending machine. You
31
00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:52.959
make a request, I give you a number. No conversation,
32
00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:57.239
no pause, no questions. And over time that really started
33
00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.879
to wear on me. I was exhausted from reading reports,
34
00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:05.359
I felt disconnected from my work, and worst of all,
35
00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:09.120
I wasn't building confidence in myself. I was building a
36
00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.879
dependence on speed. And then one day a senior leader
37
00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.800
asked me for a data pool, and something in me paused.
38
00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:19.560
Instead of rushing off to start the analysis, I asked,
39
00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.120
what kind of a decision are you planning to make
40
00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.639
with this data? I still remember the way that they
41
00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:28.319
looked at me, like, uh, nobody's asked me that before
42
00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:31.919
they shared their context. They were trying to evaluate performance
43
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:37.199
across a particular set of marketing initiatives, and I realized
44
00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:41.520
that the analysis they were initially asking for wasn't actually
45
00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:45.039
complete without a few calculated fields, things that they didn't
46
00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:47.840
think to ask me for because they weren't the data
47
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:52.240
expert I was. And that one moment shifted everything. The
48
00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:58.319
conversation became clearer, the expectations were aligned, the analysis actually landed.
49
00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:02.280
And then one day I realized, the analysts who ask
50
00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:06.199
better questions win not because they sound smart, not because
51
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:10.560
they know every tool, but because they make space for clarity.
52
00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:13.479
So here's what I want you to remember. As an analyst.
53
00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.080
It's easy to fall into task mode, get a request,
54
00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:20.439
pull the numbers, ship it. But that's not where your
55
00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:24.199
power is. That's not where your growth lives. The analysts
56
00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:27.919
who get noticed the ones who become trusted partners and
57
00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.879
not just report runners. They're the ones who learn how
58
00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:35.759
to pause, how to dig, and how to reframe. They
59
00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:39.800
don't just deliver what's asked of them, they uncover what's needed.
60
00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:44.599
That means becoming less reactive and more strategic. And so
61
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.719
I like to think of it as this. There are
62
00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.759
technicians and then there are detectives. Technicians are trained to execute,
63
00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.639
they follow the steps, they troubles you when something breaks.
64
00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:59.039
They're doing great at whatever it is that they're told
65
00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:04.319
to do. But detectives ask questions, They observe, They listen
66
00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:08.840
for what's not being said. They seek patterns, they explore
Load full transcript
67
00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:14.560
root causes. Don't just respond, They investigate. And that is
68
00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:18.519
who great analysts become, not the fastest technicians, but the
69
00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:22.639
most thoughtful detectives. And so you could think of analysts
70
00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:26.360
as translators. You speak the language of data, but your
71
00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:30.839
stakeholders don't. They're often moving really fast, juggling a ton
72
00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.680
of different decisions and priorities, trying to hit their goals,
73
00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:38.000
so they don't always know how to phrase their request clearly.
74
00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.639
And so your job isn't just to answer the question.
75
00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:44.399
Your job is to translate their need into the right
76
00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:49.040
analysis and then translate that analysis into something that they
77
00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.399
can actually act on. And you can't do that without
78
00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.759
first understanding the context. So if you're listening to this
79
00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.360
and thinking, yeah, I've been stuck in rework cycles too,
80
00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:02.600
or or I would be really nervous to ask questions
81
00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:06.160
because I'm still so super new at this I see you,
82
00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.839
and I just want to say something clearly. This does
83
00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.160
not mean that you're bad at your job. It means
84
00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.199
that you're ready to start doing your job differently. You
85
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.000
don't need to become louder, you don't need to be
86
00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:20.920
a human dashboard. But you do need to give yourself
87
00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:24.560
permission to slow down and to ask better questions. So
88
00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.560
here's a journaling prompt that I want you to reflect
89
00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.519
on for today. What questions am I afraid to ask
90
00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:35.319
when given a data request or in working in analytics projects?
91
00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:38.519
And why? Or you could even ask yourself, what's a
92
00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:42.560
request I recently received, either in interviews or from your
93
00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.199
colleagues that could have been clarified if you had asked
94
00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.439
for one more follow up. Let those answers guide you forward.
95
00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.480
Here are a few of the most powerful questions that
96
00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:55.800
I've learned to ask before I dive into any analysis.
97
00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:59.519
What question is this data supporting? What business problem are
98
00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.560
we trying to say? Who's going to use this and how?
99
00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:07.079
What segment, time frame or priority matters most? What would
100
00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:10.639
make this output actionable? If I only had ten minutes
101
00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.800
to present this, what should I lead with? These questions
102
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:16.839
are small, but let me tell you. They are game changing.
103
00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:21.879
They save you hours of work, They clarify expectations, and
104
00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:25.680
they signal that you're someone who is thinking strategically and
105
00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:28.079
not just checking off a block. Now, I know that
106
00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:30.040
some of you might be thinking, but what if I
107
00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:33.639
am so nervous to ask questions? Right? What if I'm junior?
108
00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:35.639
What if I'm new? And I get it? When I
109
00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:39.600
first started, I was worried that asking clarifying questions would
110
00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:44.600
actually make me seem more unprepared or unqualified, like I
111
00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.319
was supposed to know everything that they already meant. But
112
00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:50.759
here's the truth. Clarifying doesn't actually make you look weak.
113
00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:53.959
In fact, it makes you look more intentional. And if
114
00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:56.800
you don't feel ready to challenge the request just yet,
115
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:00.480
you can always start small. Try this line happy to help?
116
00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.040
Do you mind sharing a little bit more about how
117
00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:06.519
this will be used? It's kind, it's non threatening, but
118
00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:10.160
it gets you that all important context. I once worked
119
00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:13.480
on a campaign performance analysis where I did not ask
120
00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.480
any follow up questions. I delivered what I thought they wanted.
121
00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:19.680
I sent it early and was polished, but when they
122
00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:23.319
opened it, they were really confused. They could not find
123
00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:26.240
anywhere at might house is what they needed. Why It's
124
00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:29.439
because I didn't realize that they were trying to make
125
00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:33.920
this budget decision across different platforms and I didn't segment
126
00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:39.160
by channel oversight lost me both time and trust, not
127
00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:42.920
because I didn't care, but because I didn't actually ask.
128
00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:45.519
So if you're in a season of learning, maybe you're
129
00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.000
pivoting into data, or maybe you're in your first analyst role,
130
00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:52.759
remember this. You do not need to have all of
131
00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:55.360
the answers. But the analysts who grow are the ones
132
00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:58.240
who are brave enough to ask the right questions. And
133
00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:01.519
that starts with you right here, right now. The analyst
134
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.920
who asks better questions wins. And if you're ready to
135
00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:08.800
stop feeling behind and start feeling confident as an insight
136
00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:12.759
driven analyst, stay close. This podcast was made for you,
137
00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.319
So until next time, stay curious and keep asking better questions.
138
00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:20.920
Thank you for listening to the quietly ambitious Analyst. If
139
00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:24.079
today's episode helped you see data in a new way,
140
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.600
share it with someone who'd appreciate it too, and follow
141
00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:31.439
the show for more lessons on business communication and driving
142
00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:34.879
impact with data. And if you found it helpful, leaving
143
00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:38.320
a quick review really helps this podcast reach more people
144
00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:40.919
who want to grow in the same way. Until next time,
145
00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:43.679
focus only on what you can control, and strive to
146
00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:45.240
be one percent better each day.