A Data Leader’s Most Valuable Skill is Communication (5 Frameworks To Help You Master It In Record Time)

A Data Leader’s most valuable skill is Communication.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Unfortunately, lack of focus keeps people from ever learning how to do it. They spend hours trying to learn by just doing their jobs (giving feedback, sending emails, leading meetings), all the while failing to realize the world has changed. Just doing your job won’t cut it — because now, in order to be successful, you have to leverage specialized resources.

I know, because I wasted years trying to learn this myself.

But, my loss is your gain.

Here are 5 communication frameworks that will save you dozens of painful hours trying to learn to communicate better yourself:

1. Google’s Communication Framework

Reading this completely changed the way I thought about Communicating.

According to Eric Schmitt and Jonathan R., all you have to do is:

• Default to open. Share everything. Priorities, objectives, etc.
• Start the conversation. Conversation is one of the most valuable forms of communication. Connect people and give them something to talk about.
• Over-communicate. As long as your communications reinforce the core themes you want everyone to know, repetition is not a problem.

2. Goldsmith’s Behavioral Change Framework

Struggling with changing your ways?

• Changing your behavior is as much about communicating that change as it is about executing it.
• Gather feedback on what you need to work through observing others and the remarks they make about you.
• Over-communicate. Communicate what you’re working on. Communicate what you accomplished.

If you want to dig deeper into these two last frameworks, check out the books discussed in:

These 4 Books will make you a better Data Science Manager

3. Storytelling with Data Framework

Hang this up in your room somewhere — and stare at it everyday.

• Understand Context.
• Choose an appropriate visual display.
• Eliminate Clutter.
• Focus attention where you want it.

You can also look into:

The Six Biggest, Most Common Mistakes Presenting Data And What To Do Instead

4. Humes’s Public Speaking Framework

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I consider Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln by James Humes the Bible of Public Speaking. Three of the 21 tactics discussed in the book are:

• Power Opener. Make the most of the beginning of a speech. You have your audience’s attention, don’t waste it with amenities.
• Power Line. Learn what makes a great, memorable line and how to use it in your favor.
• Power Stat. The correct way to work stats into your public speaking. Reduce, round and relate.

5. Writing For Busy Readers Framework

Finally, this is how you achieve busy readers engaging with what you write:

• Less is more. Fewer ideas, words, requests.
• Design for easy navigation. This way, readers can find what they need quickly or move on.
• Tell readers why they should care.

This framework comes from the book of the same name, by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink. If you want to know the whole framework, go read:

Six Crucial Writing Principles for Data Science Managers

These 5 frameworks completely changed the way I thought about communicating.

If only I had discovered them sooner…