About
A first-hand account from Nicola Tinson:
In late 2017 and early 2018, the concept of Empowered Analysts came to be. At this point, my husband and I were busy navigating through work and family life, just like most people, and while many changes came with the warp speed of that navigation, two elements remained.
My constant desire to grow and develop kept showing up. You see, at that time, I was working within the automotive industry, and while I loved data work, I was ready to move into a more senior position. I knew that I didn’t want to be the MD of an automotive firm, as I knew in my heart, I wanted to be in the data industry. So, what then? I had become Business Intelligence Manager with a seat on the Senior Leadership Team, with a genuine affinity for making a difference and sharing my knowledge with others. I became fascinated when businesses began to thrive with the desperately needed support in this area – actual tangible results, like increased revenue and minimising costs.
Research led me to online courses, which piqued my interest. I had undertaken a teaching qualification in 2002 and knew I loved being a part of the process that allows people to reach their potential. Training and mentoring other analysts happened organically, further cementing the foundation for Empowered Analysts, and my coaching, mentoring, and training journey began.
I’d love to say it was easy from there, but there were challenges that needed to be faced. The conundrum was that with a technical role, such as data analytics, the training could be viewed as one dimension – just technical. The reality was that to be effective in a data role, you need to understand what the audience wants and how to hold their attention effectively. Interestingly, the opposite is also true. Business folks tend to speak a different language to the tech people while working under the same roof – the two components were not aligned or could even understand each other.
It made complete sense that for a company to succeed and flourish, its people (or main assets) also needed to. My mission is to help people on their data journey to learn and grow. Investing in development is vital to the health and success of an organisation.
Logo Story
Coined from a phrase by Wayne Eckerson in 2010, the concept “Purple People” combines two archetypal departments that are disjointed and not aligned.
“In most organizations, these two groups are at loggerheads. Neither side trusts or respects the other. This is largely because neither understands the pressures, deadlines, and challenges that the other faces. And, there is a yawning cultural gulf between the two groups that magnifies their mutual hostility: they speak a different language, report to different executives, travel in different social circles, and possess different career ambitions.”
The “red” technical side resides with those who code, create reports, and sit with an abundance of technical expertise. And, the “blue” arm of the business, the ‘business processes people’ are the ones with operational acumen. Eckerson encourages people in the workforce to become “purple people” to create a third option, where data and business thinking are combined.
Organisations that understand the power of data and the importance of data literacy are actively looking for people who can incorporate both business knowledge and technical expertise. Empowered Analysts logo indicates a new way of working with data, paving the way for change and improvement. A place that acknowledges inclusivity and not exclusion, helping the blue people become more technically proficient and the red to more fully understand the needs of the business.
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