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Top Trends in Business Intelligence Worth Knowing 

Business intelligence continues to be an important sector for businesses everywhere. As data becomes more and more important, and we find new ways to collect and analyse it, it’s vital to keep up with how things are changing and growing. Business intelligence analysts need to keep their finger on the pulse in this fast-growing field to ensure they stay up to date on best practices. Some of the things influencing business intelligence include ethics, new technologies, connecting with consumers and different models for analysing data. Each year brings new trends in business intelligence that are worth paying attention to if you want to be at the cutting edge and improve business efficiency.  

Use of natural language with tech 

Technology is great for doing things for us, but it’s not always so great and understanding or using English (or other languages). You might have to use specific keywords to get a tool to do something for you, even if it doesn’t sound that natural. But advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) are improving computer performance by helping them to understand human language more easily. A person can have a more natural “conversation” with a system, asking it questions that flow in more of a pattern and don’t need to be asked as individual, standalone questions. 

Connecting analytics and action 

Analytics is essential for driving efficient business decisions
Use analytics to inform actions

Collecting and analysing data is all very good, but that data has to be put to use as well. Analytics might reveal some interesting trends, but the next step is to turn them into actions. Business intelligence platforms are evolving to put both data and actions in the same place. By doing this, productivity is improved because it isn’t disrupted by having to switch between applications. Some things that are helping include mobile analytics, embedded analytics and dashboard extensions, which all ensure people have access to the analytics that they need in more convenient ways. 

More ethical behaviour for social good 

The ethics of data collection and analysing have been hot topics in the last few years. With the EU introducing their new GDPR legislation, everyone has had to take a good look at how and why they use people’s data. What ethical data practice might look like in the future is essential to consider. When data is used, it could be put towards a good cause, with the “data for good” movement growing. Social causes can be driven by the ethical use of data, and it’s becoming more affordable for nonprofits and charities thanks to technology like cloud computing. 

Telling stories with data 

Use data to create a story others can understand
Create a story with your data

Translating data into language that others can understand is an important skill for any business intelligence analyst. Data storytelling takes data and turns it into something that makes sense for even those who don’t spend all day analysing it. Data visualisation is a key tool for making data more presentable and digestible for everyone. Good storytelling and visualisation requires people who are good at communicating their findings and ideas. 

Business intelligence is always changing, so keeping up with the latest trends is essential. 

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10 Key Skills for Successful Managers 

Being a manager of anything is a great responsibility that needs to be taken seriously in order to make an impact. There are plenty of managers in the world that simply don’t respect what they do, resulting in poor communication between team members and a generally unproductive business. If you want to improve your company’s efficiency and productivity (we help businesses achieve this with our management training programme), then here are 10 key skills that every successful manager should possess. 

 1. Ability to collaborate with team members

Managers might be the ones giving orders to the entire team, but it’s vital that you start thinking about your staff as team members and not subordinates. It’s vital that you learn to collaborate with them on a regular basis so that you can work more efficiently as a team instead of clashing constantly. 

An important management skill is collaboration
Collaboration with your team is key; find management training courses near me

2. Being emotional when the situation calls for it 

Managers often focus too much on the bigger picture and will only look at statistics when judging decisions and employees. However, having empathy and understanding your staff members can help you become a better manager since you’ll gain a better idea of how your team operates. If this is a skill you would like to develop, you may wish to consider one of our emotional intelligence work courses.

3. Knowing the difference between micro and macro management

Micromanagement is usually seen as a bad practice but it can often be useful especially if you’re dealing with new employees or staff that have recently switched their role. 

 4. Using positive motivation to get your team more productive

Positive motivation is not threatening to fire someone. Instead, it’s all about encouraging your team and putting your faith in them so they feel like they have a place in the company instead of being treated like a disposable asset. 

Your team will thrive if you focus on positive reinforcement
Be positive with your team to improve productivity

 5. Ability to accept feedback and criticism

 You’re likely not a perfect manager so it’s vital that you learn to accept feedback and criticism if you made a mistake. You’re only human, after all. 

 6. Not being afraid of confrontation

 Confrontation happens in an office environment and you shouldn’t be afraid of it especially if an employee isn’t performing well. As long as you’re understanding and not unfair, confrontation is nothing to be scared of. 

 7. Becoming the coach that your team needs

Your team will likely look up to you because you’re their manager, so be a coach to them and guide them to being a more productive group. 

 8. Promoting your company culture

 Company cultures can have a huge impact on the efficiency of your business, so nurture yours and reinforce it with your people. 

 9. Effectively switching between multi and single tasking

Multitasking for too long will stretch out simple tasks and put more stress on your mind. However, it’s undoubtedly an effective way to get multiple things done at once, but you should learn to switch between multi and single tasking to make the best use of your time. 

 10. Developing effective communication skills

 Lastly, it’s important to develop effective communication skills so that your team functions like a cohesive group and not a disorganised mob. To help you out, we’ve also added an infographic that touches on some of the most essential communication skills that a manager needs .

 Communication skills for managers

Essential communication tips