Are you attending the “right” conferences?

I had an interesting chat with another industry leader in data/analytics.

It was refreshing to hear him comment that data leaders go to data conferences and talk among themselves instead of talking to business leaders.

Talking only to data leaders is more of the same, and more of what doesn’t work and what does. But all within the context of the current scenario.

The focus needs to move towards addressing the business leaders, their challenges, and how they are viewing where data/analytics can help them transform the business.

Sometimes interesting ways to leverage data can be explored for business problems. At the outset, it is not seemingly related to data. The reverse is also possible, where a data problem is not a data problem but a business issue.

Bridge the gap, and wonders will happen.

Attend more industry conferences with a functional focus in operations, risk, finance, supply chain/logistics, etc..You will have a few ‘new’ light-bulbs go on for sure.