Build a Great Team : Data Analytics

When a team makes an achievement, it reflects how they work together.

Background

This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to start building a data team, specifically Data Analytics.It’s definitely not easy, especially finding the right talent. Even though at this time data is still the main trend that leads many people to compete with each other. They even have to shift careers in order to want a career in this field. This is what gives rise to many bootcamps or courses in a matter of months which are claimed to be able to create reliable talents (how unfortunate that I had to spend 6 years pursuing higher education, lol 😆 ).

More than 2 years working in the government’s digital unit gave me a lot of experience and the opportunity to meet extraordinary people and help them answer various kinds of problems in various fields through data analysis. Until then it brought me to Sekolah.mu to work in education, something that has long had a special story in my life’s journey. For me, Sekolah.mu is not just a “start up” that pursues a target in revenue, there are many figures who have high ideals and extraordinary contributions that fortunately I can meet here. Of course this is not a coincidence, there is a special value that binds us together here. The “call” came to ask me to join in helping to create a data environment, furthermore, escalating maturity in making data-driven decisions.

This is where the journey begins again!

What’s the challenge?

At that moment I realized that I would be building a team from scratch, meaning I would have to redo the 2.5 year journey that I had passed. Only this time with different people and situations. So what are the basic challenges?

• Expectation. Like most startups, we are required to be fast-paced but precise. Of course, whatever consequences we do will have an impact on costs and revenue, this is the pressure. The demand to understand the problem and provide solutions as effectively and efficiently as possible, of course, is something that, perhaps, not everyone is able to overcome.
• Determine the direction of the ship and the role of each crew. Sometimes the dynamics are so fast that the determination of the direction seems one-sided. Which is then reflected by “employees are only tasked with carrying out the orders of their leaders”. This is certainly the most to be avoided, I personally, always want an environment that requires two-way discussion.Provide a safe space for anyone who contributes to freely give their opinion. Because the future of the company is a shared responsibility. No one has a lesser role than the other, no one.
• In the data field, the most challenging thing is awareness. As a phrase from Dan Ariely, “Big data is like teenage sex: everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it, so everyone claims they are doing it”. So this is it, the first responsibility of the data team.

Then how do we choose members in the team?

Someone told me I’m lucky to have amazing team members because they’ve been amazing from the beginning, it would have been a different situation if it had been another team. I doubt this statement. It’s not because I didn’t believe that everyone in my team was an extraordinary person from the beginning, of course they are, that’s the reason why I wanted them in my team. What I want to say is, my team will continue to strive to be more extraordinary because we are together trying and growing to achieve that goal, that’s the point. Then comes the question, how do we choose who will join us.

Personality and Integrity.

Believe it or not, the first impression is the most decisive. That impression doesn’t come from how cool the portfolio is. But from simple but spontaneous things that a person does such as how to reply to messages or emails, how to communicate, carry and position themself properly and appropriately. This will naturally appear and develop. It can’t be made up even though it can be made up on purpose. But we will be able to see the difference.

When it comes to data work, in my opinion, integrity is a non-negotiable foundation. This is what I always say to the team, “Once you sell your integrity, forever your pride can be bought.”. In my opinion, this value will be seen from the personality and attitude shown. Something that I can’t explain but I can clearly see from someone.

Soft skills are something but hard skills are only one thing that can be learned.

80% who have been on my team are fresh grads, 70% are career shifters. Even in my current team, only me who has a linear education major statistics. The others come from various disciplines which of course becomes interesting because we can exchange perspectives. I have always believed that all these things can be learned, one thing that cannot be cheated is passion. In data and technology, methods and tools are constantly evolving. We will always be required to invest in new knowledge. Hard skills are things that we can (actually) pursue on our own, overnight, in 3 months, very quickly. But soft skills are things that we can only learn in the presence of the environment and other people. Of course it will be something that will be developed together, grow and develop, both as individuals and as players in a team.

One Goal and Common Values.

What really makes a team successful? Of course the same vision and mission and share the same values. I am one of those who believe that the vision and mission is not something that must be determined by one person. Each team member has personal ideals and values which they then bring to the team because of their similarities. It’s like we are in one ship because we have the same island destination. The captain or leader only determines the best route based on his experience, but that doesn’t mean the members on the ship don’t take part in determining it. They help to keep the ship in the best condition and ready if there should be waves crashing. Share the same value! This is the most important thing in determining how we work together for a common goal.

Creating Space, set boundaries, and put on trust.

From previous experiences, I have learned that after all, personal and professional relationships are two things that cannot be mixed or balanced. Just enough to be harmonized by giving each other space, setting boundaries and trusting each other that each of us does the best and has our own battles in life. At work, I will fully play the role of Data Analyst. Fully responsible for my rights and obligations, and carry out all things that are under my control. However, on another occasion, I will ask how your child and parents are doing, how are your plans for further studies, to pay attention to each other and offer help from a friend. My point is, we have two different relationships, as co-workers and as friends. Even though we don’t really need to always be friends with coworkers, there’s nothing wrong with asking each other to empathize with each other and create space in a relationship. Just being natural. Because we are still human, we still function as social beings.