From Order Taker to Business Partner

In this episode, we are joined by Tara Cohn. Tara is a Director at Wipfli, a Data Storyteller, and Analytics Translator! Together we discuss how to go from order takers to business partners, helping stakeholders & L&D identify and measure outcomes, and telling a better story with data that inspires the business to take action.

​Take Aways

• Understanding over efficiency.  Don't be afraid to ask questions and really understand the needs of a project request. Take the time to think through how to empower and support your colleagues. It may seem like a waste of time but this information can mean all the difference to the success of your project.
• Educate your peers. Don't expect your colleagues to know the intricacies of your process and how they relate to positive outcomes. Time spent educating your organization on what you do, the value you bring, and the what it takes to get there, will help you to build a brand at your organization.
• Speak in plain language.  Have discussions at the business level vs. technical level. Ask questions such as "what does good look like"? "What does it mean if something is failing"? "How would we know that"? Then move backwards from there to more technical needs. This gets us beyond looking only at metrics and understanding the process more thoroughly to find better solutions.
• Use industry standards and benchmarks to fill in any data blanks!
• Own your data! When selecting vendors, make sure you own and can access your data! 
• Build relationships. Get to know your peers and stakeholders! Relationships are the most important thing for L&D and BI Data & Analytics.
• Build your acumen. Learn how your organization functions. What does success for your company look like? How does that happen in every area of our organization? How can you align your efforts together to make that happen? Shadow team members, if you have the opportunity.

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Donors Choose

Photo by Kuanish Reymbaev on Unsplash

This episode supports Ms. Patterson's, DonorsChoose project How to Sell Your Dragon (Hoodies). Join me to help children in New York, NY go on some amazing field trips!

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