Month: April 2015

Adding Value

One of the keys to my success is that I make sure to add value to what ever it is I am doing.

As an analyst, putting in a little extra time to make sure I had the right data to answer questions. In addition, I’d not just answer the question, I’d get into the head of the person who wanted my analysis and think about what new questions they might have and answer them too. I’d always be one step ahead and that added a lot of value to the business.

As a manager, I always look at each team member in terms of how much and what kind of value can they add to the business both now and long term. In each of my interactions, even the “negatives” can be used to add value long term to that persons career development as well as to the business.

As a businessman, I look at what we can do to add value to the life and well beings of our customers. What kind of training or analysis work can we provide to help them be more successful and add value in what ever it is they do.

Adding value is something that is not just a catch phrase or a motto… its something deeply ingrained in who I am as a person and what my company DMAIPH stands for.

Adding value is not just about customer service, integrity, professionalism or things like that… to me its about doing the making the world a better place one interaction at a time.

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So ask yourself… what adds value to your work, to your life and what do you do that adds value to someone else’s work or life. It the answer is not immediately obvious, then you are doing something wrong.

General Analytics – Analytics is the application of using data and analysis to discover patterns in data. DMAIPH specializes in empowering and enabling leaders, managers, professionals and students with a mastery of analytics fundamentals.

Analytics Leadership – DMAIPH is a founding member of the Analytics Council of the Philippines and specializes in arming the Data-Driven Leader with the tools and techniques they need to build and empower an analytics centric organization.

Analytics leadership requires a mastery of not just analytics skill, but also of nurturing an analytics culture. We have guided thousands of Filipino professionals to become better analytics leaders. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to discuss a uniquely tailored strategy to ensure you are the top of your game when it comes to Analytics Leadership.

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The Analytics Driven Leader: Demystifying Strategy

As I prepare for spending the bulk of the upcoming year in Philippines I have several goals in mind; publish my next book, launch a new side business and spend quality time with as many of my team members as possible. And when I think of the conversations I want to have with the team, demystifying strategy and empowering more data-driven decision making are top of mind.

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Business Strategy can be a complicated thing for many reasons. First and foremost because although you can have big goals that everyone can see, the fluid nature of pushing a business forward makes it hard for many to conceptualize.

In our case we have gone from a company of 6 with one business line to a company of over 100 with six business lines in just 18 months. On top of that we have diversified from one legal entity with one purpose to three legal entities with complimentary purposes. It’s a lot to take in.

Data-Driven Decision Making can be challenging for mean reasons as well. First of all, few people on the team have a solid foundation in business analytics. Most come from companies where they either didn’t have a direct role in developing the analytics or where in companies that really didn’t value analytics. So it takes some time for people to get on board with the idea of using both data and wisdom to make decisions.

There are so many things that we can do to improve performance, enhance communication and enable more proactive thinking. Refining process flows, building better reports and having more forums for information sharing are all places to start.

My goal is by the end of the 1st quarter of 2017 we have accomplished a lot of these things. By then we will have taken some of the mystery out of our business strategy and empowered more people to look at the data as they make decisions.

Analytics Leadership – DMAIPH specializes in arming the Data-Driven Leader with the tools and techniques they need to build and empower an analytics centric organization. Analytics leadership requires a mastery of not just analytics skill, but also of nurturing an analytics culture. We have guided thousands of Filipino professionals to become better analytics leaders. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to discuss a uniquely tailored strategy to ensure you are the top of your game when it comes to Analytics Leadership.

Demand Higher Standards! Thanks Seth I Needed That

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/04/demand-higher-standards.html

Sharing another one of Seth Godin’s well timed blog posts.

It really is quite amazing that on those days when I need a little extra inspiration and/or affirmation, I tend to find it in my inbox from Seth. It’s like he knows he is writing for me. Haha! 🙂

“And the sooner you find a boss who pushes you right to the edge of your ability to be excellent, the better. Even if the boss is you”

Bottom line, don’t settle for mediocrity. Dont settle for it form below, from above and most importantly from yourself.

We grow bigger, we make more money, we work harder, we grow bigger, we make more money… and on it goes. Now at some point we can take a rest and smell the roses and just do what needs to be done versus trying to do more, but that time is not now.

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Why The Philippines?

I am often asked why leave a great job for the biggest bank in the U.S. to set up my own small call center business in the Philippines?

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To the average person that might seem like going against conventional wisdom. However to a person who is knowledge about world affairs and has some insight into the global economy, betting on a B2B solution in the Philippines, is absolutely the right thing to do.

The Philippines has been gifted with three things that will continue to propel its B2B forward economically; a youthful population, a fairly well-developed system of higher education, and its wide scale use of an American style of English.

Across the globe, many industries are coming up short when it comes to finding talent to fill jobs. This global demand for talent puts the 18-30 year old, college educated, American style English speaking Filipino in the sweet spot for future opportunities.

Business who can hire and train this population for work with businesses abroad are in the middle of a huge boom with no signs of slowing down.  That’s why I did what I did. B2B opportunities in not just the Philippines, but across Asia makes that side of the Pacific the place to be.

Mastering The Art Of Account Management

I have been thinking a lot lately about what its take manage the relationship we have with our clients.

A long time ago, I learned that to be a good account manager you need a rare combination of professional and personal characteristics, some of which can’t be taught. To me account management is the art of representing my business to clients and vice versa.

The job requires skill, advocacy, diplomacy, leadership, expectation setting, intelligence, method, heart, patience, experience, and wisdom. It is not easy and it is something I am constantly trying to improve at.

With this concept top of mind, I thought I’d share some of my tips for being an effective account manager.

  1. Under Promise and Over Deliver. I have always strived to under promise and over deliver. Most people get it wrong. They promise to something they cannot deliver and things go downhill quickly from there. Losing your client’s trust is a surefire way to doom your company.
  2. Do What They Want, Not What You Want. We often get so busy we think we have to do it the way we are doing it. Even when it’s clearly not what the client wants. This is another way to doom yourself and your business. They are paying you to do what they want, so don’t expect them to keep paying you to do what you want.
  3. Communicate Bad News Early. It is far, far better to tell you client you will be late on a deadline, or you can meet the requirement or you have to modify what you promised then it is to go silent. Not communication bad news early, or worse to communicating the bad news at all is another strike against you and your hard work, not matter what you intentions.
  4. Be the Expert. When it comes to dealing with a client, they are expecting you to know every answer, sometimes even before they ask it. They are paying you for your expertise. So you need to be the one to find problems before they are problems, fix things before they break and always have a solution at hand. If you are not an expert on what you are being paid for, they will find someone else.
  5. Always Have the Most Data. When your client tells you there is something wrong because they saw it in a report, then you know you have pretty poor analytics. You are doing the job, so you should be the one churning out the reports, championing the sharing of information and setting the agenda for the next meeting.

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That’s just a few of the things that come to mind when it comes to being a good account manager.

And just in case I need to remind anyone, and not trying to brag… but I am pretty awesome at this.

Being good at account management is without a doubt one of the key reasons I have thrived throughout my career is keeping the clients happy.

DMAIPH has successfully set up Filipino analytics teams for over a dozen U.S. based businesses. Offering both virtual and office based teams that specialize in problem solving using data, new technology and analytics techniques is our strength. Finding and empowering analytics talent is increasingly challenging, but we have it down to a science.

DMAIPH specializes in arming the Data-Driven Leader with the tools and techniques they need to build and empower an analytics centric organization. Analytics leadership requires a mastery of not just analytics skill, but also of nurturing an analytics culture. We have guided thousands of Filipino professionals to become better analytics leaders. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to discuss a uniquely tailored strategy to ensure you are the top of your game when it comes to Analytics Leadership.

One Step Ahead In The Talent War Across Call Centers In Manila

https://www.recruiter.com/i/5-tips-on-cultivating-your-talent-pipeline/

Came across this interesting article on LinkedIn. I’m always curious about that people are saying about how to have success with recruiting, because its perhaps the top challenges in my industry.

Recruiting good call center agents in Manila has got to be one of the hardest requirements to fill anywhere on the globe right now. Awhile back I came up with a formula for what makes up a good call center agent, and not the just the surface skills, but he core competencies. Here is what I see:

  • Conversational English (20%) – Conversations follow rules of etiquette because conversations are social interactions, and therefore depend on social convention.
  • Customer Service (20%) – Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation.
  • Technical Training (20%) – Instruction to help agents use the systems and personal computers on which they are dependent to get their daily work done.
  • Product Knowledge (20%) – An understanding of a good or service that might include having acquired information about its application, function, features, use and support requirements.
  • Work Ethics (20%) – A strong work ethic is vital to a company achieving its goals. An example of someone with work ethic is a person who gets to work on time every day and always works long days to get the job done.

Of these, the hardest to teach is the fifth one, work ethic. So to me 5 ways to look for strong work ethic in a candidate are similar to the ones listed in the LinkedIn article. They are:

  1. Recruiting at events is more the just showing our brand, but our story out there. It’s a crowded field and we are just one, small voice. But it’s a enchanting story that get people excited about working with us.
  2. We too lean on Referrals for a high % of our new hires. There is nothing better than an endorsement for the job from someone doing the job.
  3. Internships/OJT/Trainees let us see how they work and letting them see what its like to work with my team. Great way to make sure it’s a good fit from both ends.
  4. Looking locally at schools and outside the industry places like retail and service jobs to attract new talent to the industry. The industry is full of job hoppers and money chasers, so going for them is not a good option.
  5. Staying in touch by sending newsletters, inviting to trainings, text blasts is important to us. Staying top of mind and keep telling our story.

So there you, go that’s how we are helping companies stay ahead of the game when it comes to the talent war going on in the call center industry in the Philippines right now.

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I am currently working on a book dedicated to helping HR & Recruitment professionals in the Philippines. The book should be ready by early 2017. In the meantime, you can check out my latest work, Putting Your Data to Work, for an overview of how to get started with analytics in your business. Connect with me and I will show you how to get a copy of my fast selling analytics guidebook.

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. DMAIPH is a leading expert in empowering HR & Recruitment teams with analytics techniques to optimize their talent acquisition and management processes. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn how to get more analytics in your HR & Recruitment process so you can rise to the top in the ever quickening demand for top talent.

Fundamentals of Business Analytics > Coming June 2015 > To A Business Analytics Course Near You

SNEAK PEAK…

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2.0The book Fundamentals of Business Analytics will be the first of a it’s kind; a textbook for Business Analytics students specifically designed for the Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines. The textbook closely follows the 2013 CHED Memorandum calling on all HIEs in the Philippines to add a Business Analytics tract to their curriculum. If you are interested in helping preview the book before it goes into general production, please send an e-mail to analytics@dmaiph.com expressing your interest.

Chapter 1 – The Concept of Analytics

Chapter 2 – Who Are Analysts

Chapter 3 – Current State of Analytics in the Philippines

Chapter 4 – Why We Need More Analysts

Chapter 5 – Basic Analysis – It’s Fun and its Easy

Chapter 6 – Finding the Right Data

Chapter 7 – Big Data & Data Warehousing

Chapter 8 – Let Your Data Do the Talking

Chapter 9 – Business Intelligence & Data Visualization

Chapter 10 – Descriptive Analytics: How We Got Here

Chapter 11 – Predictive Analytics: Where We Are Going

Chapter 12 – Prescriptive Analytics: Charting Our Path

#GrowMoreDMAI

Teaching Analytics Concepts… Never Stops Being Fun For Me

So I am helping a high school student I know learn what exactly analytics is and why it is important to know about.

First thing I had her do is go to Wikipedia to look up the term and give put the meaning of analytics in her own words. She came back with…

“Analytics is the discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data. I had researched that on Wikipedia and for me I think about analytics is about research or operating research and also about programing. This kind of word analytics can be a use in business to search for data. I’m not sure but also this is the kind of training need to be a good employee for a company.”

The next step, I told her to find a video on YouTube to watch. Anything that was short and helpful for her. Nothing too complicated or nosebleed inducing.

The awesome thing is, she typed in analytics in YouTube and one of my videos came back in the search results. Haha!!!

It’s kinda fun to be semi-famous. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/A0rFj0WVqDQ

So asked my trainee to give mer her reaction to the video. She said, “Yes you’re right analytics can help a business and its leaders.  Also you’re talking about the Philippines BPO’s of course. I see it the call centers all the time. And also you’re talking about video is training for a work force, this is for analytics jobs. This is just like what we do now… learning just what is analytics.”

The last thing I had her do for her initial orientation to analytics is look up some data on her favorite restaurant. She chose McDo… https://www.mcdonalds.com.ph/

The idea is to look up some data. Pretend we are an analyst looking to compare market share of fast food restaurants in the Philippines. For that we’d need to know the number of stores McDo has. So my young apprentice found that data… over 400. Now she can compare that to the number of stores of competitors like Jollibee and Burger King. That’s analytics in action.

Not had for a 16 year old. 🙂

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IBM’s Six Ways To Use Analytics To Manage A Workforce

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ibm/2015/04/06/6-ways-to-use-analytics-to-better-manage-a-workforce/

Interesting article about how to use more analytics in areas that are traditionally data rich, but not a focus of most enterprise analytics solutions.

Right now in the BPO industry in the Philippines, two of the bullet points really got me thinking.

Using analytics in HR to predict if and when employees might leave is a pretty cool concept. Their is plenty of historical data to look at resignation and termination patterns and segment the data in various buckets to see if any meaningful patterns jump out.

This goes hand in hand with higher employee expectations for work life balance and having a strong sense of community within the work place.

Both are things that might require a lot of unstructured analytics as well… although it blurs employee privacy issues, Facebook and Twitter can be an excellent place to glean insights into employee mood and their intentions.

I am curious to see how deep analytics can go into looking at data and trying to predict employee loyalty and stickiness.

The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. DMAIPH is a leading expert in empowering HR & Recruitment teams with analytics techniques to optimize their talent acquisition and management processes.

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DMAIPH also specializes in arming the Data-Driven Leader with the tools and techniques they need to build and empower an analytics centric organization. Analytics leadership requires a mastery of not just analytics skill, but also of nurturing an analytics culture. We have guided thousands of Filipino professionals to become better analytics leaders. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to discuss a uniquely tailored strategy to ensure you are the top of your game when it comes to Analytics Leadership.