Analytical skills are essential for executives who need to make data-driven decisions, solve complex problems, and communicate effectively. However, not all executives have the same level of proficiency or confidence in using these skills. If you are a leader who wants to help your executives improve their analytical skills, here are some steps you can take.
The first step is to assess the current situation and identify the gaps and needs of your executives. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, feedback, or performance reviews, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in analytical skills. You should also consider the expectations and requirements of their roles, the challenges and opportunities they face, and the goals and vision they have.
To identify the gaps and needs of your executives you most first LISTEN to them , do not asume that you know what they need without having individual 1:1 ‘s for at least two or three months . The challenges they face are quit important , as a leader you must fix the organizational performance to them work on the gaps and needs of the executives . In my experience the lack of execution from the people usually have the origins on the lack of a organizational culture and the true enhancement of the internal processes. Is not always the people we must learn that.
The second step is to provide training and coaching for your executives to enhance their analytical skills. You can design and deliver customized programs that address their specific needs and objectives, or you can outsource them to external experts or consultants. You should also ensure that the training and coaching are aligned with the organizational strategy and culture, and that they are relevant and practical for the executives.
Definitely training and coaching are primary pieces of a well develop strategy to achieve, goals and objective. In my experience the biggest challenge with training and coaching begins with the onboarding since many organization have been undergoing globalization and most of the functions are no longer locally . On top of that we also have product trainings consolidations, less and less in person offerings during the year and more virtual settings which is not as efficient especially for new executives. In todays modern business environment most of the responsibility of providing a relevant training and coaching to the executives is their leader responsibility and that is another challenge if they have to time to plan for it.
The third step is to create a supportive environment that encourages and enables your executives to apply and develop their analytical skills. You can do this by fostering a culture of learning and innovation, where your executives can experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes. You can also provide them with the necessary tools, resources, and data to perform their tasks and projects. Moreover, you can recognize and reward their efforts and achievements, and celebrate their successes.
You can emphasize the importance of continuous learning and improvement within the team, which may inspire executives to develop their analytical skills or seek support from those who excel in that area. Additionally, you can highlight the value of leveraging diverse skill sets within the team to overcome challenges effectively.
In my experience as a manager you could encourage and enable your executives to apply and develop their analytical skills by simply giving them the TIME to studying and practicing . Think about it , your people have a list of daily tasks but you know they are struggling with their analytical skills … then promotes that they blocks a study -practice day in their weekly agenda to master the analíticas skills . You could also promote cross-training (your most valuable resource could help the executive with a weak skill) and the use of e-learning and/or corporate tools for analysis.
The fourth step is to monitor and evaluate the progress of your executives in improving their analytical skills. You can use various metrics, such as feedback, results, impact, or satisfaction, to measure their performance and outcomes. You should also solicit and provide regular and constructive feedback, both positive and negative, to help them identify their areas of improvement and growth. Additionally, you should review and adjust the training and coaching plans as needed, based on the changing needs and goals of your executives.
The fifth step is to encourage peer learning and collaboration among your executives to enhance their analytical skills. You can do this by creating opportunities and platforms for them to share their insights, experiences, and best practices with each other. You can also facilitate and promote cross-functional teams and projects, where your executives can learn from different perspectives and approaches. Furthermore, you can leverage the expertise and networks of your external partners and stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, or industry associations, to expose your executives to new ideas and trends.
The sixth step is to lead by example and demonstrate your own analytical skills as a leader. You can do this by showing how you use data and evidence to make decisions, solve problems, and communicate effectively. You can also share your own challenges and learnings in developing your analytical skills, and how you overcome them. Moreover, you can model the behaviors and attitudes that you expect from your executives, such as curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and openness to feedback.
Actually, today analytical skills for most executives should be in second priority to people management skills. Or from a different perspective - the analytical skills should be more on how to manage, hire, motivate people, and less on data analysis. You can always push analyzed data to the executive, help him use it - but its not easy to replace the people behavior analysis skill of an executive.