Hey AOF! Today I am joined by one of my first mentors in the BI industry, Rick Montgomery, to unpack why and how you can add the human element to digital transformation. Rick is the Co-Founder of Analysis Factory, an end-to-end business intelligence company based in Boston, Massachusetts that specializes in developing data visualizations that map out the key business processes.
Tune in as Rick shares how to identify, understand and map out the different personalities and parts of your digital transformation. He also deep dives into the dynamics of a successful project and shares some amazing resources you can start using right away. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this knowledge bomb-filled episode! It’s like a Ph.D. on the people problem in 60 mins.
“It's like a theatre company. All of us have different skills. Once we decide on what the piece of work is, you then put people in the right role for this work.” [0:31:58]
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This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our next workshop on May 18-20, 2021 is now open for registration! Consider upgrading to the VIP option for extras including access to our online course. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you’ll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!
3 Knowledge Bombs
- Rick on the Mapping Process - You need to create avatars for each role in a company and then unpack the connections between individuals. Then you can begin to track changes and motivations across an organization.
- Rick on Understand Who is in the Room - It is important to start understanding who is who in a room. Then you can weigh your expectations against their experience across different settings and contexts.
- Rick on Gaining Buy-in - In the beginning you can sell your ignorance until you understand what's going on. Then you are able to sell your expertise. If you can focus on functionality before prettiness, and allow critique, you will start to build buy-in!
In this episode, you'll learn:
- [05:45] - How Rick's family and unique upbringing influenced his work.
- [09:12] - What Rick learned from dropping out of MIT / Harvard.
- [16:28] - Knowledge Bomb: Understanding the importance of mapping people and processes.
- [19:39] - How automation and analysis can lead to conversations with leadership.
- [21:38] - Knowledge Bomb: How to get started with adding the human element and Rick's recommendations for useful books on consultative selling.
- [30:01] - How to arrange the people involved according to individual skillsets and the job at hand.
- [36:46] - Actionable steps in the process of mapping personnel at a company.
- [39:02] - Knowledge Bomb: First sell your ignorance, then sell your expertise later!
- [46:21] - Staying clear on who you serve and maintaining focus on the work.
- [49:08] - The people and books that have and continue to inspire Rick to learn and serve that you can also use.
- Right-click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.
“With almost no exception, the things that we have seen fail, did not fail because of engineering. We can engineer anything.” [0:46:50]
Links and Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Connect to Rick Montgomery via LinkedIn
- Check out Rick’s company Analysis Factory
- Rick's fav books and resources:
- Check out the book recommendation that changed Mico’s career Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play by Mahan Khalsa
- Watch the inspiring story of Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson in the movie Hidden Figures
- Learn about the former, amazing SCOTUS powerhouse Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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