Week 2: Business intelligence tools and techniques

Welcome to the second section of the Google Business
Intelligence Certificate. I’m so glad to have
you joining me again. Now that you have
a solid foundation in the basics of BI, it’s time to focus on
the actual BI process. This involves learning
how to effectively engage with stakeholders using BI tools to make the most of
available data and applying the power of rapid monitoring for smart business decisions. And one thing that connects all of these aspects of BI
is asking questions. Time and time again, I see that the most
successful people in our field are the ones who
ask lots of questions. We ask our colleagues
what’s slowing them down or causing friction
in the process. We ask about our customers, competitors, and what’s
going on in a global marketplace. We ask how things work so we can learn about different
tools and technologies. When I was first starting out, I would ask tons
of questions about the capabilities
and limitations of different systems,
even if I didn’t use these particular tools
in my own day-to-day work. That’s because just having a basic understanding enabled
me to make connections to the work my team was
doing and identify ways that I can make
positive contributions. For instance, when
I joined Google, I was learning about Google SQL platforms and the different SQL languages used depending
on the tools involved. Sometimes other
languages such as Python and JavaScript
were involved, which I had never
experienced before. To familiarize myself, I made a point to
ask questions about how these things worked and who I could go to in
order to learn more. I encourage you to
do the same thing in your own career and even while you pursue
this certificate. Don’t hesitate to
ask questions in the discussion forums
when you encounter a topic that you want
to learn more about. There’s a lot of
information being covered. In this section of the course, we’ll first explore
how to successfully collaborate with a diverse
group of stakeholders. Then you’ll discover
how near real-time rapid monitoring enables users to collect and report
on key metrics, then apply them to
make better decisions. In addition, you’ll
start building some career resources by
enhancing your online presence, developing strategies for
networking and mentorship, and building a
portfolio that will impress future hiring managers. All of that starts
by understanding an organization’s business needs and important
deliverables. After all, if you want to
achieve your objectives, you first have to define them. Now, I’ve got a
question for you. Are you ready to get
started? Let’s go.

As you’re discovering, BI
professionals are passionate about helping people do
their jobs more effectively. In my work, I feel
a huge sense of accomplishment when I know that I’ve saved my stakeholders time, help them find a better process, or showed them a
whole new approach. This enables them to focus
on other tasks where they can maximize their unique
strengths and interests. But before I can do any of that, I first have to
get to know them, their roles and responsibilities and their business goals. After all, different people require different BI insights. But once I have
that understanding, I can much more easily determine what a particular
project is all about, and what my stakeholders are
expecting me to deliver. This is what we’re going to
explore now in this video. As a quick refresher, a stakeholder is
someone who invests time and resources
into a project, and is interested
in its outcome. Typically, this is because
they need the work you do to perform
their own tasks. But sometimes it’s the other
way around. You need them. Either way, it’s all about teamwork, and that’s why it’s so critical to ensure that outputs align with the
team’s requirements. Sometimes a stakeholder might be referred to as a client or user, but their general role
is still the same. There are all sorts of
stakeholders in the BI process, but we’re going to focus on
the four most common ones. These include the
project sponsor, the systems analyst, the developer, and the
business stakeholders. Let’s start with the
project sponsor. This person has overall
accountability for a project and establishes the
criteria for its success. Accountability involves
accounting for or being responsible for
project activities. Project sponsors
are representatives of the business side, which typically means they’re involved when a project is being envisioned and they advocate
for its undertaking. And because the project sponsor is responsible for sharing events, changes and milestones with other stakeholders in a timely
and transparent manner, it’s important for BI
professionals to always keep the project sponsor informed.
Here’s an example. In a previous team, I worked
on an initiative that involved the customer service department changing its
operational platform. The project sponsor was the
director of cloud systems. She was responsible for the
vision for the project, gathering the relevant
teams together, and establishing key objectives. As the BI professional, I made sure to provide her with the information she needed
to support this effort, such as what inputs I would need and how long it would
take me to create a dashboard. The developer is the next
stakeholder on our list. Developers use programming
languages to create, execute, test, and troubleshoot
software applications. You may hear them called
computer programmers, coders, or software engineers. There are two primary
types of developers, application software developers and system software developers. Apps developers design computer
or mobile applications. Because their work is largely focused on creating
for consumers. These professionals are
focused on user needs, monitoring performance and
modifying programs as needed. System software developers are more likely to be stakeholders
on a BI project because they develop
applications and programs for the back-end processing
systems used in organizations. Going back to my example of
the customer service project, the system software developer worked on the platform’s
back-end settings, to ensure that data
flowed into data tables, which analysts used to
determine how happy customers were with the
customer service department. Next up is the systems analyst. This person identifies
ways to design, implement and advance
information systems, in order to ensure that
they help make it possible to achieve
business goals. Systems analysts study how an organization uses its
computer hardware and software, cloud services, and
related technologies. Then they use what they learned to iterate on and
improve these tools. For instance, during the
customer service project, the systems analysts
worked with the raw data provided by the system
software developer. Then they organized it
into data that I, as a BI professional, could use
for reporting purposes. Now we’ve come to
business stakeholders. If you’re familiar with the Google Data
Analytics certificate, then you’ve learned a
lot about these people. Business stakeholders
invest time and resources into a project and are
interested in its outcome. Feel free to revisit that
content if you’d like to review business
stakeholders before moving on, all of the people you learn about in this video
are different, so they’ll all require different things
from the BI process. The key is to always communicate proactively and
prioritize teamwork. My project was a success because we were all
in it together.

What are business intelligence stakeholders?

Business intelligence (BI) stakeholders are people who have a vested interest in the success of a BI project. They may be from different departments within an organization, or they may be external partners. Some common BI stakeholders include:

• Project sponsor: The project sponsor is the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of the BI project. They are typically a senior executive who has the authority to make decisions about the project.
• Business users: Business users are the people who will use the BI insights to make decisions. They may be from different departments within an organization, such as sales, marketing, or operations.
• IT staff: IT staff are responsible for developing and maintaining the BI infrastructure. They may include data analysts, developers, and system administrators.
• Data stewards: Data stewards are responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of the data used in BI projects. They may be from different departments within an organization, such as finance or human resources.
• Vendors: Vendors may provide BI tools, consulting services, or other resources to help with a BI project.

Why are business intelligence stakeholders important?

Business intelligence stakeholders are important because they can help to ensure the success of a BI project. They can provide input on the project’s goals, requirements, and scope. They can also help to identify and address any potential challenges. By working closely with stakeholders, BI professionals can create a BI solution that meets the needs of the organization.

How to identify business intelligence stakeholders

The first step in identifying business intelligence stakeholders is to understand the goals of the BI project. Once you understand the goals, you can start to identify the people who will be affected by the project. These are the people who will be using the BI insights to make decisions, as well as the people who are responsible for developing and maintaining the BI infrastructure.

In addition to understanding the goals of the BI project, you should also consider the following factors when identifying stakeholders:

• The organization’s structure: Who are the key decision-makers in the organization? Who are the people who will be using the BI insights?
• The BI project’s scope: What data will be used in the BI project? What are the specific business problems that the BI project is trying to solve?
• The BI project’s timeline: When does the BI project need to be completed?

How to communicate with business intelligence stakeholders

Once you have identified your stakeholders, it is important to communicate with them regularly. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the BI project is meeting the needs of the organization.

There are a number of ways to communicate with stakeholders, including:

• One-on-one meetings: This is a good way to get to know your stakeholders and understand their specific needs.
• Group meetings: This is a good way to share updates on the BI project and get feedback from stakeholders.
• Email: This is a good way to communicate with stakeholders who are not available for one-on-one meetings or group meetings.
• Project management tools: There are a number of project management tools that can be used to track progress and communicate with stakeholders.

The importance of stakeholder engagement in business intelligence

Stakeholder engagement is essential for the success of any BI project. By engaging with stakeholders early and often, BI professionals can ensure that the BI solution meets the needs of the organization and that the project is successful.

Here are some tips for engaging with business intelligence stakeholders:

• Be proactive: Don’t wait for stakeholders to come to you with questions or concerns. Be proactive in communicating with them and keeping them updated on the project’s progress.
• Be transparent: Be open and honest with stakeholders about the project’s goals, challenges, and risks.
• Be responsive: Respond promptly to stakeholder questions and concerns.
• Be collaborative: Work with stakeholders to find solutions that meet their needs.

By following these tips, BI professionals can build strong relationships with stakeholders and ensure the success of their BI projects.

Computer programmer, coder, and software engineer are all terms used to describe which stakeholder type?

Developer

Computer programmer, coder, and software engineer are all terms used to describe a developer. Developers use programming languages to create, execute, test, and troubleshoot software applications.

Recently, we’ve been exploring key elements
of the business intelligence process. We spent some time getting
to know typical BI stakeholders including
the project sponsor, systems analyst, developer, and
general business stakeholders. Now we’re going to take
that a step further and consider some important
communication strategies that BI professionals use when
collaborating with these people. These strategies involve knowing
how to ask the right questions, define project deliverables, and
effectively share the business intelligence you discover. No BI project is
100% clear from the very beginning, so you’ll often need to put on your detective
hat. A critical part of being a BI professional is knowing how to
investigate what’s currently going on then looking for
clues to better understand people’s needs and ideal project outcomes. My colleagues and I often note that
a stakeholder, partner, or coworker might say they need one thing, but what they
actually need is very different. And it’s up to us to get to the bottom of it and
help them succeed. In such circumstances having strong communication skills will
enable you to dig deeper into the problem, challenge or opportunity, then identify how you can approach
the issue in the most effective way. This process starts with asking the right
questions. If you earned the Google Data Analytics Certificate, you spent
an entire course focusing on this ask phase of the data analysis
process. As a quick refresher, this involves understanding the difference
between effective and ineffective questions. Knowing what types of
questions bring about the best insights enables you to use questioning to fully
understand stakeholder expectations, especially when what they’re asking for is different from what your professional
experience indicates they require. If you’re comfortable with the ask phase,
continue to the next part of this lesson or if you’d like to review these
principles, feel free to do so now. Okay, after asking the right questions
in order to thoroughly understand the project,
it’s time to define project deliverables. A deliverable is any product, service or outcome that must be achieved
in order to complete a project. This could be a new BI
dashboard, a report, a complete analysis,
documentation of a process or decision. Pretty much anything requested by
stakeholders can be a deliverable. In BI the most common deliverables are the
dashboards and reports that provide insights to users. When brainstorming
which deliverables to produce, it’s helpful to make a list of the
problems to solve, challenges to overcome, or opportunities to maximize. Then think about the workflow for
each business process involved. This helps you visualize
the types of dashboards or reports that will be most productive,
how many are necessary, and what specific elements
each of them requires. For example, when I’m asked to create a
dashboard, I’ll grab a piece of paper and start drawing example charts in a mock up.
Then I share them with the users. This helps in two ways. First, it ensures my vision of
the dashboard is what they had in mind, and second, it enables me to confirm for
myself that it all makes sense. Okay, now the final step: effectively
sharing business intelligence. It’s important to know how to make complicated
technical data more straightforward and accessible for people who are unfamiliar
with the terminology and systems involved. Being able to present
intelligence in a clear and concise manner is fundamental to making
sure that decision makers understand the insights and can put your
recommendations into practice. Also at this point in the process
an essential responsibility of every BI professional is to consider bias. As you likely know, bias is a conscious or
subconscious preference in favor or against a person, group of people, or
thing. There are many different types of bias that can affect a data related
project, such as confirmation bias, data bias, interpretation bias, and
observer bias. These concepts were taught in depth in
the Google Data Analytics Certificate. So please review them now if you need to. Every project you work
on must start with a focus on fairness, which means that your work
doesn’t create or reinforce bias. BI professionals have a lot of power because we’re the ones translating very
technical topics into a simple language for others. It’s vital that your translation is fair. After all your team is trusting you.
You’ll continue building your communication skills all
throughout this program and in no time you’ll be ready to thoughtfully
share even the most complex BI insights.

1. Understand your audience

The first step to becoming an expert business intelligence communicator is to understand your audience. Who are you communicating with? What are their needs? What are their levels of understanding of data and analytics? Once you understand your audience, you can tailor your communication to their needs.

2. Use clear and concise language

When communicating business intelligence, it is important to use clear and concise language. Avoid jargon and technical terms that your audience may not understand. Use plain language that is easy to understand.

3. Use visuals to support your communication

Visuals can be a powerful way to communicate business intelligence. Charts, graphs, and other visuals can help to make your data more understandable and engaging.

4. Be objective and unbiased

When communicating business intelligence, it is important to be objective and unbiased. Avoid presenting your data in a way that is designed to persuade or influence your audience.

5. Be transparent

Be transparent about your data and methodology. Let your audience know how you collected your data and how you analyzed it. This will help them to trust your findings.

6. Be responsive

Be responsive to your audience’s questions and feedback. If they have any questions about your data or analysis, be prepared to answer them.

7. Be proactive

Don’t wait for your audience to come to you with questions. Be proactive in communicating with them and sharing your findings.

8. Be patient

It takes time to become an expert business intelligence communicator. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Keep practicing and you will eventually get better at it.

Here are some additional tips for becoming an expert business intelligence communicator:

• Get feedback from others. Ask colleagues, friends, and family to review your communication materials and give you feedback.
• Take a communication course. There are many communication courses available online and in person. These courses can help you to improve your communication skills.
• Read books and articles on business intelligence communication. There are many resources available that can help you learn more about how to communicate business intelligence effectively.
• Attend conferences and workshops. There are many conferences and workshops that focus on business intelligence communication. These events can be a great way to learn from experts and network with other professionals.

By following these tips, you can become an expert business intelligence communicator and help your organization make better decisions based on data.

Have you ever been
shopping online and added something to your cart, but then ultimately decided
not to purchase it? I know I have. I absolutely love cooking and I like to shop
online for cookbooks, interesting spices, or maybe
even a new kitchen gadget. But sometimes I change
my mind before checking out because I choose to
save the money instead, or I decide that the
kitchen tools I already have will work just
fine for my recipe. When that happens,
the online store has what’s called
an abandoned cart. According to e-commerce
platform, Shopify, online merchants lose
18 billion dollars a year in sales revenue
because of cart abandonment. This is a big problem, but it’s one that business
intelligence professionals are very skilled at solving. In this video, we’ll consider
exactly how that works. BI professionals can use data to identify where a
customer came from, whether a Google search, an email link or maybe
a social media post. Then they can
visualize the journey the shopper took when
visiting the website. They’re even able to
pinpoint exactly where that customer dropped off
and try to figure out why. For example, a BI professional
might create a tool to monitor how quickly the website
checkout page is loading. If the team decides that
it’s taking too long, the company can dedicate
resources to improve websites speed and hopefully keep that customer
in the future. The measure of a website
page loading speed is an example of a metric. A metric is a single
quantifiable data point that is used to
evaluate performance. In BI some of the most
important metrics are KPIs, which you’ve learned are
quantifiable values closely linked to business strategy that tracks progress
towards a goal. Many people confuse
KPIs and metrics, but they are different things. The basic point to
keep in mind is that metrics support
KPIs and in turn, KPIs support overall
business objectives. It’s also helpful to understand
that KPIs are strategic, whereas metrics are tactical. Going back to our
abandoned cart example. Strong KPIs might be the average value of
each online transaction, customer retention, or year over year sales. Think
of it this way. A strategy is a
plan for achieving a goal or arriving at a
desired future state. It involves making
and carrying out plans to reach what you’re
trying to accomplish. A tactic is how you get there. It’s a method used to
enable an accomplishment, including actions,
events, and activities. Tactics take place
along the way as part of your strategy to
reach your final objective. Like stepping stones
between each milestone. Reach enough milestones and
you’ll reach your goal. Understanding business
objectives and what is needed in order to achieve them is the
first step in BI monitoring. BI monitoring involves building and using hardware
and software tools to easily and rapidly
analyze data and enable stakeholders to make
impactful business decisions. Let’s say our e-commerce
merchants sets a goal to decrease cart abandonment
by 15% in six months. The BI professional would
create a tool that monitors web page loading speeds in order to help
achieve that KPI. Rapid monitoring means
that the people using BI tools are receiving live
or close to live data. In this way, key decision
makers know right away if there’s a steep rise in the
number of abandoned carts, or if they run out of inventory
on a popular product, or if customer service
representatives are receiving an unusually
high volume of calls. Knowing right away means
that the company can fix whatever the problem may
be as quickly as possible. This is one of the
main ways in which BI professionals add real
value to their organizations. Later in this course, you’ll learn more about how to select appropriate metrics. Lots more to come.

What is near-real-time monitoring?

Near-real-time monitoring is a type of business intelligence (BI) monitoring that collects and analyzes data in near-real time. This means that the data is collected and analyzed quickly enough to allow businesses to make informed decisions in a timely manner.

Why is near-real-time monitoring valuable?

Near-real-time monitoring is valuable for a number of reasons. First, it allows businesses to identify and address problems more quickly. For example, if a business is monitoring its website traffic in near-real time, it can quickly identify and fix a problem that is causing its website to load slowly. This can help to prevent customers from abandoning their carts or leaving the website altogether.

Second, near-real-time monitoring can help businesses to optimize their operations. By analyzing data in near-real time, businesses can identify trends and patterns that can be used to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. For example, a business that is monitoring its customer service calls in near-real time can identify the most common reasons why customers are calling. This information can then be used to improve the customer service process and reduce the number of calls that are received.

Third, near-real-time monitoring can help businesses to make better decisions. By having access to up-to-date data, businesses can make more informed decisions about things like pricing, marketing, and product development. This can help businesses to improve their bottom line.

How to implement near-real-time monitoring

There are a few things that businesses need to do in order to implement near-real-time monitoring. First, they need to collect the data that they want to monitor. This data can come from a variety of sources, such as websites, applications, and sensors.

Second, businesses need to store the data in a way that allows them to access it quickly. This can be done using a variety of data storage solutions, such as cloud storage or big data platforms.

Third, businesses need to use a BI tool that can analyze the data in near-real time. There are a number of BI tools available that offer near-real-time monitoring capabilities.

Benefits of near-real-time monitoring in business intelligence

The benefits of near-real-time monitoring in business intelligence include:

• Improved decision-making: By having access to up-to-date data, businesses can make more informed decisions about things like pricing, marketing, and product development.
• Increased efficiency: By identifying and addressing problems quickly, businesses can improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
• Reduced costs: By preventing problems from occurring, businesses can reduce their costs.
• Improved customer satisfaction: By providing a better customer experience, businesses can improve customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Near-real-time monitoring is a valuable tool for businesses that want to improve their decision-making, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. By collecting, storing, and analyzing data in near-real time, businesses can identify and address problems quickly, improve their operations, and make better decisions.

Hello, I’m Anita, a Business Intelligence Analyst at Google. I can’t wait to help guide you through the career lessons
throughout this program. I really hope this
experience has given you all kinds of new
possibilities to think about. I’m sure that with my
awesome colleague, Sally, you’ve already learned so much already. You’ve begun exploring the
day-to-day responsibilities of BI professionals; the roles of different team
members and stakeholders; key tools in the BI toolbox, such as pipelines and
dashboards; and lots more. You’re gaining a vast range
of knowledge and skills, which are going to be extremely valuable as you prepare to join us
in the amazing field of BI. At this point in the program, I encourage you to take
some time to reflect on how your experiences so far are setting you up for a great career. And one way to do that is by enhancing your
current online presence. If you’ve completed the Google
Data Analytics Certificate, it covered numerous job-related materials, including how to create
an effective resume and LinkedIn profile. This video is about improving
your existing career assets. So, if you’d like to revisit those lessons to be sure you’re prepared
for what’s to come, go ahead and do so now. Okay, let’s get into the value of having a compelling and
professional LinkedIn presence. A professional online presence enables you to better connect with
others in the field. You can share ideas, ask
questions, or provide links to a useful website or an
interesting article in the news. These are great ways to meet other people who are passionate about BI. Even if you’re already a
part of the BI community, strengthening your network
makes it even more dynamic. LinkedIn is an amazing way
to follow industry trends, learn from thought leaders, and stay engaged with
the global BI community. Similarly, membership in
LinkedIn listed groups keeps you informed, helps you better understand
industry trends, and much more. And of course, LinkedIn has
job boards and recruiters who are actively looking
for BI professionals for all sorts of
organizations and industries. On my team, we begin
our candidate searches for all BI roles through LinkedIn, focusing on key skills and
experience required for the role. Many of the keywords that we
use are exactly the concepts that you’re learning in this program. It’s a good idea to always
keep your profile up-to-date and be sure to include
a professional photo. Beyond that, consider including a link to some of the relevant
work you’ve done in BI, such as the end-of-course
project you’ll explore during this program. As you continue expanding
your online presence to represent the work you’re doing in BI, the connections you make
will be an important part of having a truly fulfilling experience. Plus, there are also so many rewarding in-person networking opportunities, which we’ll soon explore. See you then!

Introduction

Business intelligence (BI) is the process of collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to help businesses make better decisions. BI professionals use a variety of tools and techniques to extract insights from data, including data mining, data visualization, and statistical analysis.

The importance of networking

Networking is essential for any BI professional. By building relationships with other BI professionals, you can learn about new opportunities, get advice, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends. There are many ways to network, including attending industry events, joining online forums and groups, and reaching out to people you know in the field.

How to network in BI

Here are some tips for networking in BI:

• Be active on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great platform for connecting with other BI professionals. Make sure your profile is up-to-date and includes a professional photo.
• Attend industry events. There are many industry events that you can attend to meet other BI professionals. These events can be a great way to learn about new trends and opportunities.
• Join online forums and groups. There are many online forums and groups where you can connect with other BI professionals. These forums can be a great place to ask questions and get advice.
• Reach out to people you know. If you know someone who works in BI, reach out to them and introduce yourself. They may be able to help you find a job or give you some advice.

The benefits of networking in BI

There are many benefits to networking in BI, including:

• Learning about new opportunities. Networking can help you learn about new job openings and opportunities.
• Getting advice. Networking can help you get advice from experienced BI professionals.
• Staying up-to-date on trends. Networking can help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends in BI.
• Building relationships. Networking can help you build relationships with other BI professionals. These relationships can be helpful in your career.

Conclusion

Networking is an essential part of any BI professional’s career. By building relationships with other BI professionals, you can learn about new opportunities, get advice, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends. There are many ways to network, so find a method that works for you and start building your network today.

Here are some additional tips for networking in BI:

• Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. People can tell when you’re being fake, and it will make it harder to build relationships.
• Be genuine. Be interested in what other people have to say, and don’t just talk about yourself.
• Be helpful. Offer to help others, even if it’s just a small thing. This will show that you’re a team player and that you’re willing to give back to the community.
• Be persistent. Don’t give up if you don’t make a connection right away. Keep networking and eventually you’ll find the right people.

Recently, you learned about the value of maintaining a
professional online presence and connecting with others in the business intelligence field. As I noted, there are many professional
networking sites, such as LinkedIn, that are well worth your
time and involvement. But there are lots of other ways to be proactive about your
professional development. For example, many organizations use
personal referrals when hiring. In fact, according to the Society for
Human Resource Management, employee referrals are the
top source of external hires. So let’s start exploring how
to tap into this opportunity by building valuable relationships. After all, the more people you
connect with professionally, the greater your chances
are of being referred. First, there are many more websites that are wonderful ways to
get to know other people in business intelligence. Be sure to follow
best-in-class organizations and visionary business leaders on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Interact with them, and
share their content. If there’s a post you like, consider commenting with
a response or a thank you. You can also search for BI webinars featuring
interesting speakers, and many of these events are free. It can be another fascinating way to learn while connecting with peers,
colleagues, and experts. And there are also lots of
blogs and online communities that focus on BI. Some of the popular ones include
InformationWeek’s website, Forrester’s Business Intelligence Blog, and Tableau’s blog. Next, we have in-person
networking opportunities. The easiest way to find
events is by simply searching for business intelligence
events in your area. You’ll likely find meetups
with posted schedules of upcoming get-togethers, seminars, and conferences. Nonprofit associations are
also wonderful resources, and many offer free or reduced-rate memberships for students. Okay, now let’s spend
some time discovering how mentorship can positively influence your career and life. As you may know, a mentor is someone who shares knowledge, skills, and experience to help you grow both
professionally and personally. Mentors are trusted advisors, sounding boards, and valuable resources. The first step in finding
a mentor is to figure out what you’re looking for. Think about any challenges
you face or foresee and how to address them in
order to advance professionally. Then consider who can help
you grow in these areas, as well as fortify your
existing strengths. Share these things openly
when you formally ask someone to be your mentor. It’s also helpful to note
any common experiences. Perhaps you grew up in the same city. Maybe you both worked
in the same industry. Your mentor doesn’t have to be someone you currently work with. Many people find mentors on LinkedIn, an association mentorship program, or at a mentor-matching event. As for me, I found a mentor who was a
business partner of mine. I loved her leadership style, how she interacted with her stakeholders, and managed her team. After working with her
for quite some time, I told her I really admired her and asked if she’d be my mentor. I knew she could help me develop my skills as a people manager. And she was happy to. This experience really taught
me the value of mentorship. I also learned that successful
mentorship requires effort and investment in time, whether you’re preparing
to ask the right questions, internalizing the feedback, or scheduling follow-up sessions. But it’s well worth it! Always be open to
connecting with new people. You never know where a single
conversation will lead.

Introduction

Professional relationship building is the process of developing mutually beneficial relationships with people in your field. This can be done through networking, mentoring, and other activities.

Why is it important?

Building professional relationships is important for a number of reasons, including:

• It can help you find a job. Many jobs are filled through personal referrals. By building relationships with people in your field, you increase your chances of being referred for a job opening.
• It can help you advance your career. Your network can provide you with opportunities for professional development, such as mentorship, training, and job shadowing.
• It can help you stay up-to-date on industry trends. Your network can keep you informed about the latest developments in your field.
• It can give you a sense of community. Working in BI can be isolating at times. Building relationships with other BI professionals can help you feel connected to the community.

How to build professional relationships

There are many ways to build professional relationships. Here are a few tips:

• Attend industry events. This is a great way to meet people in your field and learn about the latest trends.
• Join online forums and groups. This is a great way to connect with people in your field and ask questions.
• Reach out to people you know. If you know someone who works in BI, reach out to them and introduce yourself.
• Be helpful and supportive. When you help others, they are more likely to help you in return.
• Be genuine and authentic. People can tell when you are being fake, so be yourself.
• Be patient. It takes time to build strong relationships. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.

Conclusion

Building professional relationships is an essential part of a successful career in BI. By following the tips above, you can start building relationships that will benefit you for years to come.

Here are some additional tips for building professional relationships in BI:

• Be a good listener. People appreciate it when you take the time to listen to them and understand their needs.
• Be positive and enthusiastic. People are drawn to those who are positive and enthusiastic.
• Be a team player. Be willing to help others and contribute to the success of the team.
• Be honest and ethical. People trust those who are honest and ethical.

Hello, I’m Anita, a Business Intelligence Analyst at Google. My very first job was I was a librarian at the public library in my hometown, and that was a job where I was talking to people every single day. They had questions about
where to find a book, I need something that covers X, Y, Z. And that really helped
me learn and figure out how to talk to people
who maybe have a problem and don’t know how to solve it, but they’re looking for you for help. I think that was a huge starting
point for my career in BI. I got into BI not
through a straight path. I started off working in accounts payable
and accounts receivable, and helping optimize those
processes for my clients. Through working with them
you started to hear a lot about the need for analytics
and the need for understanding I have so much data but what’s the important
piece that comes out of this? And so from hearing that from
my clients, it started me down this path of, okay,
what tools are out there? How can I help them find those insights? And that led me to one
job after the another until ultimately I found myself
in business intelligence. And I can’t really imagine
working in any other field. With each successive job that I’ve had, whether it be as a data analyst in accounts payable
and accounts receivable or working in a collections department. I’ve picked up things for how to tell a successful
story through data. And ultimately, I think
that’s a little bit of what BI comes back to is
what are the trends, patterns, insights that we’re looking for that’s gonna tell a compelling story that let people make decisions
using that information. The one piece of advice I have for people getting into BI is really focus on your people skills and the networking. The technical skills are
important, the coding, the SQL, understanding the databases and the different programs
that we use is important. That’s how you’ll do your job day-to-day. But what will really make you stand out is how you’re able to engage
with your stakeholders; how you’re able to engage with the different teams
that you’re working with and how you take all of the
things that you’re hearing from them and eventually synthesize them into that final BI product
that’s gonna help them get insights from their data. I think everybody has
transferrable skills. Every job that you’ve had, every experience that you’ve been through, you’ve learned something from it. And if you take a moment to think about what it is that
you learned from that, maybe it’s your first job in high school, maybe it’s an experience that you had in university where working with a group you were negotiating
difficult team dynamics. Every single one of those is a transferrable
skill that you can bring into the business intelligence field.

[MUSIC]
My name is Jerrod and I’m a principal lead in the analytics and
decision support team in YouTube. And our team focuses on building out
business intelligence and analytics for the YouTube Business Organization. Mentorship has been a huge part
of my progression in my career. I’ve had the fortune of many
mentors over the course of my career both at Google and
outside of Google, some from like schooling,
some just by happenstance. But every single one of them
have given me something that was either a motivating factor or
encouraged me to believe more in myself or
that like just were there to listen to me vent about something not working or
whatever it might be. Look for groups that are focused on
the areas that you’re interested in. We’re thinking about BI and analytics. There’s so many groups of folks who are
business intelligence professionals and there’s niche groups that are focused
on data signs or predictive analytics. I’ve also just reached out to
people whether it is via email or introductions from other
folks that I know, LinkedIn. And I usually tend to look for
people that are doing something that I’m interested in that have
a skill that I don’t have. And I just reach out and say, hey, I’m I’d love to have a conversation about
XYZ thing and hear how you think about it. I’ve actually found that LinkedIn
is a really powerful tool. It takes work, but it’s a very
simple entry point for networking. And when I say networking,
I don’t mean just like small talk, I mean actually reaching out to
someone in the hopes that they are someone that actually
wants to be reached out to. And really being intentional about
what it is you want to learn from people who have done something
you want to do bet on yourself. Because most likely there are not as
many people who are doing the same. But the more you show and prove your
capabilities, your sticktoitiveness, whatever other adjective you can use,
the more people will start to bet on you, and the more opportunities
that come from that.

Well, we’ve come to the
end of another section. You learn about enhancing
your online presence, and maximizing networking and
mentorship opportunities. You also investigated the
various BI stakeholders and some proven methods for collaborating with
them effectively. You discovered how
rapid monitoring enables users to collect
and report on key metrics, then apply them so organizations can make
better decisions. In addition, you learned about
how metrics support KPIs, which in turn support
business objectives and we emphasize the power
that comes with a BI career, and why it’s so
important to keep fairness in mind at all times. Your businesses tells
us knowledge and skills continue to
develop and grow. I’m really happy to be with
you on this exciting journey. Coming up, you have another
graded assessment ahead. To prepare, be sure to
check out the reading that lists all of the new glossary
terms you’ve learned. And as always, take anytime
you need to review videos, readings, and your own notes to refresh yourself
on all the content. Congrats on all
of your progress. We’ll connect again shortly.