How's everyone's week?

I felt a little under the weather but the plan to write didn't wither. I've learned so much in the past 2 months just from writing online, meeting people and reading a lot. Writing is my true passion. It's crazy it took me basically a decade to realize that. I've quite a few story ideas besides writing about data project management.

My guest post is published on Gigasheet! Here it is:

Watch the 1-min video where I explain what this book, Data Concierge Agile Playbook, will be about here:

For this week, we'll deal with some dicey situation. People often give me the cold shoulder when I start a data project. Not everyone welcomes automation. That's okay. I'll share how to smooth things over and make it beneficial for everyone.

Are you stealing your coworkers’ jobs through your good work?

People are afraid of losing their jobs when you finish automating their work.

There will be times when your stakeholders feel threatened by what data analytics can do, particularly automation. They’re worried that Power BI dashboards will replace them.

It’s a legitimate concern.

They wondered what they would do with their free time. Meanwhile, you’re on a roll to build one dashboard after another. And you wonder why they don’t want to talk to you.

Why aren’t they as excited about the new enhancements as your CTO and you?

Your relationship with stakeholders can become competitive, the battle between new ways and old ways.

It’s inevitable.

This is not the moment to be the cool kids in town, but a leadership opportunity for you to form a community of collaboration.

Prepare them for these new changes.

Here Is How to Help Them Transition:

Present Yourself as a Partner

You’re here to work side by side with your stakeholders. This is not a hostile takeover. Their leaders understand the value of data analytics and want to help them use their time better.

Here are some openings you can use when you work with them to set the tone.

Dos:

“My team will help you free up your time to do work smarter with less stress. Imagine getting things done faster and better with less time with our new data analytics initiatives.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if you can just focus on what the data is telling you and not worry about how to get insights? That’s why I’m here.”

Don’ts:

“The leadership has set goals for us to automate anything possible. We need to get this done in the first quarter. Tell me where your data is.”

“I can’t believe how much time you spend on manual processes. Our new dashboard is going to change that.”

Introduce the Changes Steadily

People will remain resistant. You need to speak gently, but act firmly and consistently.

Don’t go over to their managers and complain about it. This is your conversation and relationship with your stakeholders, not with their bosses.

If they remain standoffish, not willing to help or provide data, you can have a private conversation on the side.

Dos:

“I’ve noticed some resistance from you. Could you help me understand why?”

You need to explore the root of their resistance, most likely fear. And then you need to remove that from them by showing that you’re here to help them.

Don’ts:

“My team is working really hard. When will the data be ready?”

Invite Them to Mentor You

It’s not enough to have them warm up to you. You need to solidify this relationship.

When work gets into a good rhythm, invite them to teach you about their work, their expertise such as corporate finance, lab work, etc.

Learn from them.

Position them as your mentor.

That way, it not only improves your relationship but also makes you even more valuable than when you started. You’ll be armed with tech skills and domain knowledge.

That’s when you take data analytics to the next level.

Help Them Shift Focus to Strategic Work

Your value doesn’t end here. Now you’ll make them more valuable. It’s hard to shift the mindset from doing manual work for hours and hours to having little to do with all the free time.

You’ll lead by example.

Share how you use your free time at work to learn new things in the field when the pipeline is running on the auto-pilot mode.

Show them how you delegate tasks to others and how you use that free time to build relationships with them.

More Details on Different Types of Stakeholders

Technically Capable:

I’d even go further to tutor them on how to build simple things themselves, such as changing the dashboards’ color and font, etc.

Focused On Business:

You’ll want them to be your best advocates and solidify this relationship through delivering products they need.

Entry Level Stakeholders:

Show them automation saves time, and they get to present impressive dashboards to their leaders.

Senior Level Stakeholders:

Help them understand that data analytics leads your company to a better position to sell products. Add value so they’ll be happy to secure future funding for your data projects.

Most companies want to monetize from their data, not reducing headcount through analytics. If it does, it’s a byproduct of the effort. Be a leader for them.

You’re going to be the glue for various groups by showing them why data analytics is good for them in their own worlds.

If you like me to

1) guest post on your platform,

2) provide copy writing service, and

3) help with data project management.

Feel free to book a discovery call via Calendly here.

I'm also on Medium. Read more here:

Join Medium membership and read more of my articles! https://medium.com/@mo.villagran/membership

Medium does share membership earnings with writers like me. Appreciate the support!

If you love what you read, give me a shoutout here:

I'm now available for podcast guest appearances! You can find all my details and get in touch to book interviews via this link below.

https://www.matchmaker.fm/podcast-guest/mo-villagran-f84572?utm_source=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=profile

If you'd like to give better presentations at work and hone your public speaking skills, let Christopher transform you into star speakers.

• Learn what a data concierge is here.

• If you're interested in starting your own newsletter on Beehiiv, join here. And send me a link to subscribe.

• Great podcasts on communication here.

• If you're into finance, check out below. I've learned so much from her.