Producing a faulty evaluation and guiding my organization within the unsuitable direction based on my results has been one in all my biggest fears since starting out as an analyst. And to be honest, being exposed and called out on my mess much more so.
My nightmare scenario: A significant feature my team has worked on for months, based on my advice, fails to deliver value during testing. People start asking questions, and after investigating, it becomes clear that my assumptions were based on incorrect evaluation results.
Having spoken to and mentored many analysts since then, I’ve learned that I’m removed from the just one who feels this fashion. Quite the opposite, it is a quite common fear that many analysts share.
The explanation why one can feel anxious about an evaluation are quite obvious: publishing and promoting unsuitable results and proposals affects each the organization as an entire and at the identical time poses risks for us personally.
Despite these risks, avoiding sharing analyses or shying away from controversial or assumption-challenging results just isn’t the fitting approach. The truth is, these analyses are sometimes crucial. As a substitute, it’s crucial to develop strategies that help mitigate the danger of manufacturing flawed outputs. And this starts with appreciating the next:
Making mistakes as an Analyst is freaking easy.
Analysts work in a really complex environment with a high degree of freedom, so there are numerous opportunities to make a mistake or draw unsuitable conclusions.
Conducting an evaluation involves several different steps:
- Defining the research query and approach
- Collecting and cleansing the information
- Analyzing and interpreting the information
- Visualizing and communicating the outcomes
At each stage, it’s fairly easy to make a mistake which is able to ultimately be reflected in our recommendations and the…