The Geek Redemption: Data Analytics and The Real Skills Shortage
Ahhh…that Andy Dufresne, he is something, isn’t he?
A better question might be: Why should we remember who he is, and does he have some memorable traits we should want to imitate? (spoiler alert #1 on that last one: YES)
Andy Dufresne is the main character in author Stephen King’s 1982 novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, and in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, considered one of the greatest works in film history.?Funny thing is the film initially tanked at the box office despite its seven Academy Award nominations. Certainly that did not convey the success of the film, proven through the wide audience and critical acclaim it achieved the following years after its release through the magic of cable television and streaming services.
For good reason.
The film is a study of lessons on the power of persistence overcoming resistance, communication, influence, motivation, human bonding, and empathy amid the oppressive backdrop of a violent, bleak, cold prison world.?Because of that, it’s one of those films that I can watch over and over again, seemingly extracting something new from each viewing. Those lessons applied in so many memorable scenes in the film can also be applied in the business world, both at the time of its release and today, making it a timeless piece of art.
One could say it was the Geek Redemption.
Remember those data geeks of the past? You know, those shy, quirky, socially awkward, and easily intimidated individuals who were more comfortable in a room full of ONE with a calculator and computer? Like Andy Dufresne, they were strangers in a strange land, often mocked for not speaking everyone’s language while nobody cared to even learn theirs.
Well, score one for Andy, seemingly turning the tables on the geek stereotype by emphasizing the importance of applying his people skills with a smooth and smiling demeanor to complement his technical skills in achieving his goals. Whether behind prison walls or sitting with a bank manager, he proved the importance of having transferable skills that you could take anywhere and be successful. By the end of the film, you were pleasantly surprised to find that his life actually became LIT (spoiler alert #2: my apologies in advance).
The Landscape
The situational business landscape these days is a world more connected than ever, marked with a swift, ever-changing climate of adaptability, automation, and artificial intelligence with large amounts of data. It is also a world with a growing parity in rapidly changing technology and technical skills.?
In today's economy, workers must be able to solve complex business problems in fluid, rapidly changing, team-based environments. At the same time, it’s also a world starting to have a renewed focus on a very important missing component vital to any organization.
It’s people.
Let’s focus on the data analytics industry. Most data professionals are familiar with the 80/20 rule - developed by Vilfredo Pareto - which states that 20% of the workforce will accomplish 80% of the results.?It’s a well-known industry fact that data analysts or data scientists spend about 80% of their time getting data ready for use and only 20% of their time for actual analysis and reporting.
One could argue this rule should be applied in how to prepare for a data analyst career: Candidates should spend about 80% of their time learning a combination of basic technical skills (Excel, SQL, some data visualization tool like Tableau) along with practicing your core essential soft skills (including communication, critical thinking and emotional intelligence) and 20% to perhaps learning the basics of a more advanced programming or machine learning skill (Python, R, Java Script, cloud computing, etc.).
As you might have gathered, soft skills are those interpersonal attributes you need to succeed in the workplace, including how well you work with and relate to others. This can include communicating with others on your own team, or outside of your team and your organization.
But why the emphasis on soft skills?
Over the years, studies by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Harvard University and the Stanford Research Institute found that 15% of one’s success is due to technical knowledge (aptitude) and 85% to the person’s skills in human engineering, personality, and ability to lead people (people skills).
To further validate the above point, a Forbes article revealed the prediction Mark Cuban, the American billionaire entrepreneur, and Shark Tank investor, made in a 2018 interview.?Cuban predicted what many people in technical fields found shocking at the time: in ten years, “a liberal arts degree in philosophy will be worth more than a traditional programming degree." His reasoning was that education - teaching how to think in a big picture way and better collaborate - will become more valuable.
Unfortunately, unlike soft skills, technical skills (or hard skills) are often more quantifiable, and easier to teach and learn than soft skills.?A hard skill for a data analyst or data scientist, for example, might be the ability to master a handful of tools and languages along with statistical computations to manipulate a dataset and apply sets of algorithms as needed and when required. A soft skill would be the analyst’s ?ability to communicate effectively with co-workers and clients.
?Let’s face it, the Internet has turned our world upside down, revolutionizing communications and becoming a central force in our lives, and data is at the essence of pretty much everything we do online. From searching for hotels on your next vacation, listening to music on your Spotify app that personalizes your music experience among its 400+ million global subscribers on your daily commute or long road trip, to which restaurant serves your favorite authentic pasta dish or sushi with the attentive service to match (“look honey, this place has 4.5 stars”), to sharing a moment with a dinner date on how excited you are that Squid Games is coming back for season 2 on Netflix, data is behind it all.
?That’s a huge impact.
The Opportunity
The past several years have been a perfect storm of rapidly changing technology tools, a shortage of people with the technical skill sets to learn and use them, along with a vast amount of invaluable untapped data in many organizations waiting to be accessed.?As workplaces evolve both socially and technologically, addressing the “soft skills gap” becomes more important, especially among a generation of young workers more accustomed to texting than talking, devoid of developing competent writing skills.
It's been often said that soft skills in military operations may determine whether a particular mission succeeds or fails, forming the basis for successful leadership positions. No one should downplay the importance of technical expertise for a specific job role or function, but the candidate possessing the soft skills that engages others and makes a positive human connection are often the makings of a more powerful, successful, and hardworking employee.
There is no doubt that enterprises are impacted by a talent shortage, needing people who are well versed in data management and manipulation. But there is also a major gap in having persons who can work well with others and communicate those results so they can be used in real-world use cases. Many organizations are struggling to find employees who can effectively communicate with members of their organization outside the analytics team.
?This is where the real shortage lies.
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?The Root
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, new college-grad hires are entering the workforce deficient in critical thinking, teamwork, speaking and writing. They are missing what we can call the Andy Dufresne effect in Shawshank, discovering and leveraging one’s own personal influence to form business relationships in their own environments while motivating others to act.
Whether this is a combination of college curricula that is different from year’s past, a heavy reliance on technology where many are being 'digitalized' at a very early age and taught to believe that the best way to solve a problem is go to a machine and find your solution instead of talking to another person - robbing young adults of essential soft skills - is a discussion for another day.
?But the fact is that some of the top missing soft skills – problem solving, innovation, creativity, the ability to deal with complexity, and communication – are becoming some of the most valuable skills in the immediate future that machines cannot perform and the best preparation for long-term career goals.
?In other words, it’s crucial for employees to be not only ‘book-smart’ but possess real people or interpersonal skills and a real-world use of applying those skills, which can help many overcome being introverted – and let’s face it, socially awkward - by learning how to communicate in a professional environment. ?
?After all, data professionals should take exceptional notice of Andy’s excellent communication and negotiation skills and how they were the keys to his survival, using his power of persuasion and reason to achieve an outcome, often in his own selfless way for the benefit of those around him.
?After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?
The Essential Core To Get You More
Whether you are just starting your career or educational path, currently in a data analyst role or considering making a career change, it would be advisable to set yourself apart by knowing and applying core essential skills which are AI-proof for the future. These include:
Having these skills will help you in your quest in gathering insights or managing data to answer questions such as:
Sir Richard Branson, the British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate who founded the Virgin Group, writes, "Communication makes the world go round. It facilitates human connections, and allows us to learn, grow, and progress. It's not just about speaking or reading but understanding what is being said -- and in some cases what is not being said. Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess."
Note the case of another RB.
Not Richard Branson, but Rose Blumkin.
Rose Blumkin was a retail legend who founded the Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1937, and with the aid of her son and grandchildren, built it into the nation's largest home furnishings store. At the age of 23, she talked her way past a patrol guard on the Siberian-Chinese border to leave Russia for America.
?Talk about leveraging communication skills to get what you want!
?One could argue that if she was not effective at the art of persuasion and controlling the linguistic encounter, it’s most likely she would not have become the retail legend who garnered the respect and admiration of Warren Buffet.?Just like Mr. Buffet, there is no doubt in my mind that Andy Dufresne would have also been proud.
The Next Chapter
Unlike ten years ago when Thomas Davenport and D.J. Patil predicted the influence and talent shortage of data scientists, enterprises today are ditching the search for data science “unicorns” and looking to build out more diverse teams with a wide range of skillsets, both technical and non-technical.
After all, robots and machines cannot do it all, and certainly do not possess the undervalued and often crucial soft-skill sets utilized as game changers to broker deals, persuade someone to buy a product or service or just to empathize with someone. Having the aforementioned core essential skills can contribute to reduced stress, aid in building more positive relationships, and even boost revenues.
It's understandable if you feel you don’t have the confidence to interact well with others. Like some of the individuals Andy Dufresne was surrounded by, you become so used to your imprisonment that your own brand of freedom becomes terrifying, where you actually become more comfortable being in a social prison-like state.
?But the truth is, many people actually DO have the necessary core essential skills, but lack the confidence to use them, not realizing that with practice, they can improve their confidence and communication skills.?
?Let’s hope every professional, including those in valuable data analyst roles, prioritize development of essential soft skills and take the necessary action towards helping individuals and organizational workforces become the best version of themselves.