# Talking and Thinking By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-09-08 Much of the attention given to analytics is on the technical aspects of its execution. This is certainly understandable, as it is the technical aspects of analytics that distinguish it from most other disciplines. Whereas this attention is appropriate, other important aspects of being an effective analyst are obscured in the process. Two important skills in applied analytics are [[communication]] and thinking. Analysts are called upon to communicate throughout an analytic project. From the beginning, the analyst will need to ask questions to ensure an adequate understanding of the project. Once this is established, the analyst will need to ask questions related to the location of data and its pedigree. When executing the project, the analyst will likely need to discuss with analysts aspects of competing analytic techniques to determine the most appropriate approach within the given context. Towards the end of the project, the analyst will need to write a report which explains what was done, how it was accomplished, what was determined, and what implications follow from the analysis. This then will be reduced to a presentation and the analyst will need to present the findings to organizational decision makers. In all, there is a great deal of communication required as part of the analytic process. The same holds for thinking. Like communication, thinking is required throughout the analytic process. It is useful to add a little specificity regarding the types of thinking required when conducting analysis. In the beginning, the analyst will likely engage in conceptual thinking to put the analytic project in context. At this point, the analyst might engage in critical thinking to assess implicit assumptions. As the analyst starts to define the analytic techniques to be used, [[creative]] thinking will be used to select an approach that is appropriate and constructive. Lastly, as the analyst thinks about how to make the results of one’s analysis compelling, one will likely engage in [[Pragmatic]] thinking. It isn’t just that analysts need to think, they need to be able to think broadly and in different forms. If one wanted to make a short heuristic, one might say that analytics is based on the three T’s (i.e., Technique, Talking, and Thinking). Because it is most uniquely and directly related to analysis, the technique tends to receive the greatest amount of attention. Consequently, new analysts tend to underappreciate the importance of communication and thinking in analysis. Attuning to these two elements, along with technique, provides one with a more comprehensive position from which to approach organizational analysis. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Thinking]] [[Talking]] [[Technique]] [[The Three T's]]