Data are Sexy Podcast

"You are Wonder Woman, and Data [are] Your Magic Lasso."

If there was ever a metaphor I wish I had thought up myself, it's that one. It came from presentation and speaking coach Joel Schwartzberg in his Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Present Your Data Like a Pro.” Joel Schwartzberg's article

Joel, being the expert presentations coach that he is, shows the importance of explaining how data supports the major points of a presentation. Data, like Wonder Woman's lasso, are "𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭[s] 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴..."

In this episode, I’m going to show you how data draw out compelling truths and give you a few actionable tips for using DIVA – that’s the acronym for Data Insights, Visualization, and Analytics—and knowing what to ask from your data team.

This episode delivers a four-step process to create value for your company, excellence for your strategies, and as always, a way to turn data into money.

And here’s an introduction to that process – it is grounded in four laws:

• The Law of Intent
• The Law of Insight
• The Law of Intervals
• The Law of Integration

You can find episodes dedicated to each of these Laws in future Data are Sexy podcasts.

Source data:

“Combining motivational and volitional interventions to promote exercise participation: Protection motivation theory and implementation intentions” by Sarah Milne, Sheina Orbell, and Paschal Sheeran. British Journal of Health Psychology (16 December 2010).

“Project Management Statistics: Trends and Common Mistakes in 2022,” TeamStage.

“The Numbers Behind Successful Transformations” by Kevin Laczkowshi, Tao Tan, and Matthias Winter. McKinsey Quarterly  (17 October 2019).

Are you a DIVA? I'm not talking about the hair flip, glamorous, “don’t-you-know-who-I-am?” type of diva.

DIVA is an acronym for “Data Insights, Visualization, and Analytics.” The Macmillan dictionary defines glamorous as “attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way.”

Think of how much you could communicate to your Board, your team, your regulators, and your stakeholders IF you could present your company’s data in as “attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way.”

And I'd like to define “DIVA” as such as well.

The bottom line is: If you want to turn data into money, you need to be a DIVA.

#datainsights #datavisualization #dataanalytics #diva

Today’s podcast is all about the Magic of Analytics. Specifically, it is about you, the non-technical business leader, and how to get your investment in data to pay off.

I've included three little tips to use when you are looking at your own data. And I’ll give you these tips with the backdrop of the three types of Data Analytics:  Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive.

The tips are questions you ask yourself (or of those reporting the data):

1. What is this?
2. What does it mean?
3. What must I do?

Extra resources: The Art of the Longview by Peter Schwartz

If you do a search on the word “sexy” on this podcast platform, beware of what you’ll find. I would further recommend that you save the search at a time when small children aren’t present!

Of course, I named this podcast “Data are Sexy” for a reason. It got your attention, didn’t it? Today, I’m going to talk about the most controversial word in the phrase “data are sexy” – and it’s not the one you think it is.

#datainsights #datavisualization #dataanalytics

Are you among the business leaders that often ask their data analysts to "mine the data and tell me something interesting."? (See "I have data. I need insights. Where do I start? by Rama Ramakrishnan Rama's article )

Ramakrishnan says it's because business leaders are under pressure to show some ROI from all the money that's been spent on systems to collect, store, and organize the data. I submit that there are actually three separate reasons why you may be doing this:

1. You need to know that all this investment in hardware, software, and HR isn’t a cruel version of the Emporer’s New Clothes.
2. You may not know what to ask for.
3. You may be afraid of what you might find.

Get the most out of your data investment by instructing your teams to solve very specific problems. Magic happens.

You can reach Tara Kenyon at TaraKenyon.com .

Join Dr. Tara Kenyon as she explores why data and analytics are important to the non-technical business leader and turn data into money. You can reach Tara Kenyon at TaraKenyon.com.