Training Data Practitioners to Become Managers
Strategies for Success
10 Minute Read
In today's data-driven world, data practitioners play a critical role in helping organisations make sense of their data and use it to drive business outcomes. However, as organisations increasingly recognise the importance of data-driven decision-making, data practitioners are being called upon to take on more managerial responsibilities, including leading teams, making strategic decisions, and communicating insights to stakeholders.
To be effective in these roles, data practitioners need to develop a range of soft skills that go beyond their technical expertise. While technical skills are important, they are not sufficient on their own to ensure success in a managerial role.
Therefore, it is essential for organisations to provide training and support to their data practitioners to help them develop the necessary management skills. By doing so, organisations can create a pipeline of effective data leaders who can not only deliver technical excellence but also drive business outcomes and build strong teams.
It is essential for organisations to provide training and support to their data practitioners to help them develop the necessary management skills
In this article, we will explore some key strategies for training data practitioners to become effective managers. These strategies include leadership training, communication training, collaboration training, and exposure to business strategy. By implementing these strategies, organisations can help their data practitioners develop the skills and expertise needed to thrive in managerial roles and drive success for their teams and organisations.
The Importance of Soft Skills for Data Managers
Soft skills are the non-technical skills that are required to work effectively with others, especially when leading and managing teams. Technical skills alone are not enough for data managers to be successful in their roles. Effective communication skills are critical for data managers to be able to convey insights to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner. Leadership skills are essential for motivating teams, setting clear goals, and making effective decisions. Problem-solving skills are crucial for data managers to be able to identify and address issues as they arise, and to make strategic decisions that align with the broader goals of the organisation.
Without these soft skills, data managers may struggle to build strong relationships with their teams and other departments, leading to ineffective collaboration, poor project outcomes, and lower job satisfaction. Therefore, organisations must focus on developing the soft skills of their data practitioners to ensure that they are equipped to become effective managers.
Training Data Practitioners to Become Managers
To train data practitioners to become effective managers, organisations need to focus on building their soft skills. Some ways to achieve this include:
1. Leadership training
Leadership and management is a skill, and much like the technical skills that your Data Practitioners have developed, they can be learned with the right training. Providing leadership training that helps data practitioners learn how to inspire and motivate their teams, set clear goals, and make effective decisions is essential. However, since technical minds often learn in a different way to non-technical minds, it is important to adopt a different training methodology to see results. The training should relate concepts to things that the practitioners already understand to be effective.
2. Communication training
Effective communication is critical for success in any managerial role. Providing communication training that helps data practitioners learn how to effectively communicate insights to stakeholders and present their findings in a clear and concise manner is essential. However, communication is a two-way street, so the training should also incorporate ways to listen effectively and respond to questions in ways that make people feel listened to. It is important to help data practitioners develop their emotional intelligence (EI) skills to be effective managers and leaders.
3. Collaboration training
Being a leader is not just about helping your team, but also making sure that their work is recognised throughout the organisation. Providing collaboration training that helps data practitioners learn how to collaborate with other departments within an organisation is essential to ensure that the insights generated from data are used to drive business outcomes. Cross-collaboration is especially important for data teams, as they typically rely on other teams to receive data to perform their jobs. Building cross-collaboration skills will enable data leaders to identify, scope, and realise business valuable projects in collaboration with other teams, which will also lead to better adoption and ROI.
4. Exposure to business strategy
Exposing data practitioners to business strategy is essential to help them align their work with the broader goals of the organisation and make strategic decisions that drive business outcomes. Data practitioners who understand the company's strategy and goals can prioritise projects and tasks that are aligned with the company's objectives. This can lead to higher job satisfaction, as 98% of data practitioners view making an impact in the business as an important factor in their job satisfaction [1]. In this same survey conducted in 2022[1] found that 83% of unhappy data practitioners cite a lack of a data strategy or a poor data strategy as a factor. Exposing data leaders to the wider business strategy enables them to understand which projects should be prioritised to drive business value, leading to a happier team and providing tangible business value.
[1] Brijj - Emotional Intelligence Report 2022 - www.brijj.io
98% of data practitioners view making an impact in the business as an important factor in their job satisfaction
The Benefits of Training Data Practitioners to Become Managers
1. Improved team performance
Effective managers can inspire and motivate their teams, leading to improved team performance. When data practitioners are trained to become managers, they bring their technical expertise to the role, and can guide and support their team members in making better decisions and achieving better outcomes. They can also identify areas where team members need further training and development, and can provide mentorship and coaching to help them improve their skills.
2. Better communication
Managers with strong communication skills can effectively communicate insights to stakeholders, leading to better decision-making. Data practitioners who become managers can use their technical expertise to communicate complex data insights to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and concise way. They can also facilitate communication between team members, ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goals and objectives.
3. Increased collaboration
Managers with strong collaboration skills can work effectively with other departments within an organisation, leading to increased collaboration and better business outcomes. Data practitioners who become managers can use their technical expertise to work effectively with other departments, such as marketing or finance, to ensure that data-driven insights are integrated into broader business strategies. They can also facilitate collaboration within their own team, encouraging team members to work together to achieve common goals.
4. Strategic decision-making
Managers with exposure to business strategy can make strategic decisions that drive business outcomes. Data practitioners who become managers can use their technical expertise to identify new business opportunities and trends, and can use this information to inform strategic decision-making. They can also help to align data-driven insights with broader business goals and objectives, ensuring that data-driven decisions are aligned with the overall direction of the organisation.
Managers with strong collaboration skills can work effectively with other departments within an organisation, leading to increased collaboration and better business outcomes.
5. Improved retention and job satisfaction
Training data practitioners to become managers can also have a positive impact on employee retention and job satisfaction. When employees feel that their career goals are being supported and that they have opportunities for growth and advancement within the organisation, they are more likely to stay with the company and feel more satisfied with their jobs. Data practitioners who become managers can provide mentorship and coaching to help team members develop their skills and advance their careers, which can help to improve retention rates and boost morale.
6. Better understanding of technical skills
Data practitioners who become managers can bring a unique perspective to the role, as they have a deep understanding of the technical skills required for data analysis and can provide guidance and support to their team members in this area. They can also help to ensure that the team is using the most up-to-date tools and techniques for data analysis, which can help to improve efficiency and accuracy.
7. Enhanced problem-solving skills
Managers with a background in data science can also bring strong problem-solving skills to the role, as they are trained to analyse data and identify patterns and trends. This can be particularly valuable in identifying and addressing issues that arise within a team or organisation. Data practitioners who become managers can use their analytical skills to identify areas where the team is underperforming, and can develop strategies to address these issues and improve overall performance.
8. Improved project management skills
Data practitioners who become managers can also develop strong project management skills, which are essential for ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. This can help to improve efficiency and productivity within the team and across the organisation. Managers with a background in data science can use their analytical skills to identify potential roadblocks and risks, and can develop contingency plans
Key Takeaways
Soft skills are essential for building strong relationships, effective communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. To develop the necessary soft skills, organisations must provide leadership, communication, collaboration, and business strategy training to their data practitioners.
Effective leadership training should adopt a training methodology that is tailored to technical minds, focusing on inspiring and motivating teams, setting clear goals, and making effective decisions.
By implementing these strategies, organisations can create a pipeline of effective data leaders who can not only deliver technical excellence but also drive business outcomes and build strong teams.
Transitioning from a Data Practitioner to a Data Manager Made Easy with Demonstrandum
Are you looking to transition your data practitioners into successful managers, but finding the process daunting? At Demonstrandum, we recognise that moving into a managerial role can be a challenging experience for many data practitioners, but we can help make the process seamless.
At Demonstrandum, we understand that every organisation has unique training needs, and that’s why we design customised programs to meet your specific requirements. Our training programs cover essential topics such as communication, leadership, and teamwork, which are critical skills for a successful manager. Additionally, we also offer technical training on project management, budgeting, strategic planning, and other skills that are vital for a data-driven business.
Our team of experienced data professionals has extensive experience working in the field, and we have a deep understanding of what it takes to transition from a data practitioner to a successful manager. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs, and we tailor our training programs to meet those requirements.
Our training programs are designed to help your employees develop the skills they need to excel in their new roles as managers. We believe in providing hands-on training that allows your employees to put their new skills into practice immediately. This approach ensures that your employees are fully equipped to handle the challenges of their new roles.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level and help your data practitioners transition into successful managers, contact us today. Our team is ready to help you develop a customised training program that meets your unique business needs.