The Balance Between Soft Skills and Data Mastery - Robert Bonovich - Making Better Decisions - Episode #25

Making Better Decisions: Leaders in Data

In this episode, we explore the critical balance between technical data expertise and essential soft skills, such as communication and stakeholder management. Our guest Robert Bonovich Senior Business Analyst at Cisco Systems shares real-world examples from their career, including a fascinating story from their time in sales where they leveraged multiple data sets to target prospects effectively. We also discuss the importance of developing personal data projects, building strong communication skills, and continually asking the right questions to find insights that drive business success.

Key Takeaways:

• Don't underestimate soft skills: Effective data analysis goes beyond technical prowess; it’s about how well you can communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders.
• Creating value with data: Even small insights, such as a slight improvement in conversion rates, can lead to significant business impacts.
• Asking the right questions: Constantly observing patterns and trends in your data is crucial for finding actionable insights.
• Building personal projects: Working on personal data projects can sharpen your analytical skills and help you spot opportunities in professional settings.
• Passion Discovery: Shifting from computer science to math and data analytics due to a passion for solving real-world problems.
• Career Pivot: Overcoming the fear of being stuck in a cubicle by pursuing a path that combined technical and interpersonal skills.
• Practical Application of Coding: Using R and Python to solve complex business problems, like ROI analysis for companies.

Quote of the Show:

• “Everyone wants to hit the home run. But if you're constantly just making little data insights that can create singles or doubles, You're getting on base, you're still creating value, right?” - Robert Bonovich

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-bonovich-162a4a121/
• Website: https://www.cisco.com/

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