As a Business Analytics coach at Lodestar Solutions, clients often ask me, “Where can I find talented Cognos BI and TM1 Talent? Cognos professionals are hard to find.” I offer to help review job descriptions, interview BI / TM1 candidates they are considering hiring, and recommend they put the word out that they are hiring through LinkedIn Groups in areas of Business Analytics, BI, TM1 and other IBM Cognos groups. But the key topic we discuss is that talent isn’t usually hired. It’s coached! Have you ever hired someone that, on paper and in the interview, appear to be a Cognos rockstar only to find 3 months in they barely are cutting it?
A Business Analytics or BI Professional should not be hired just because they know how to use Cognos TM1 or Cognos BI. Talent needs to be skilled in requirements gathering, presenting, being influential and communicating with business users. “Soft skills” are required to excel in the area of data and analytics. These “soft skills” can be taught and developed with Business Analytics coaching but many companies fear if they invest in their internal resource, their talent will leave for a better job.
Companies that invest in a business analytics coaching program will empower their people to leverage data and analytics which, in turn, will lead to innovation in their industry. As a leader or manager of an organization committed to leveraging Data and Analytics, you need to coach your team. To get started, read this blog by Ben Dattner, “How to Participate in Your Employee's Coaching“: https://hbr.org/2014/11/how-to-participate-in-your-employees-coaching. I also strongly recommend the book, “Helping People Win at Work” by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge: http://www.kenblanchard.com/helppeoplewinatwork/ In this book, the authors recommend having team members create their own 3-5 short term, SMART goals. S – Specific, M- Motivational, A-Attainable, R-Relevant, T-Trackable. The team member is to review their goals with their leader which will lead to an agreement on said goals and how to measure them. The key is the leader has to agree to coach, on a daily basis, the team member achieve the goals. After 90 days of execution, the leader and the team member review the goals and communicate regarding the overall performance.
Becoming a Business Analytics coach, not just a manager or leader, takes dedication and commitment by the leader, the team member, and the organization.
The results of this dedication and commitment will be amazing. With the right Business Analytics coaching you can groom some of the top IBM Cognos TM1, Cognos BI and Business Analytics talent in the country and have them loving their position within your organization.
If you need guidance or help on providing Business Analytics coaching for your internal resources, Lodestar Solutions has two unique offerings: Business Analytics Coaching for Team members & Executive Business Analytics Coaching for Executives looking to lead and grow an analytics driven organization. For more information email services@lodestarsolutions.com.