Smarter Data People

Build Analytics Capability

Toggle navigation
  • About Cindy Tonkin: build analytics capability
  • Episodes
  • Contact +61 412 135 426
  • Search

12: Glen Bell: be curious or miserable

https://smarterdatapeople.com/episode-player/547/12-glen-bell.mp3

Glen Bell is the former president of the Data Management Association in Sydney, Australia. Here is his linked in profile. He has been working in Data Management for several decades.

Find the podcast on episode-list-cindy-tonkin-podcast

Glen and I met improvising together more than 15 years ago. Here are some of the things he talks about:

  • Data School: a new idea for educating data people so that they are equipped to work in the decision sciences
  • Most important thing with data analysis is that people make decisions and take action from it
  • 70% of data analysis is data cleansing and prep. But if you can’t count then you’re out of the game
  • Glen believes pie charts are evil: see his Ignite talk below
  • Pecha kucha, Ignite Sydney and the Pyramid principle (Situation complication question answer)
  • The essential nature of curiosity for data people: If you’re not a curious person in data you’ll be miserable!
  • How important it is to be easy to work with
  • Most expensive thing you can do in an organisation is to call a meeting
  • The importance of first impressions
  • No one as a child says “When I grow up I want to be a consultant”
  • It’s more than just being able to do predictive analytics. you need to get the client’s attention for long enough to get context, and everyone else wants their attention too: you need to find a compelling reason for the client to fit you into their day
  • Machine learning and data catalogues, Alation as part of the new wave of data cataloguing tools 
  • Glen’s analogy for data cataloguing 

​

Things we mentioned!

Glen’s favourite charity is Meals on wheels 

I refer to Shailendra Kumar’s podcast which you will find here.

This is what a spin class is: start about 11:10 for the actual class

Zombies run! an app for people who like a narrative in their run!

Visualisations and explanations

Edward Tufte’s book Visual explanations. And the infographic of Napoleon’s army marching on Russia here.

Here’s some info on John Snow epidemiologist who mapped visits to public water fountains. Here’s that image.

Stephen Few Show me the numbers

Professional Development

Glen reads the Economist magazine

James Clear’s newsletter and the book, Atomic Habits

Yuval Noah Harare’s book Sapiens, also recommended by Keegan O’Shea.

Alan Alda’s improv for scientists to help them communicate. And here is the podcast, which is called Clear + Vivid.

Katie Couric talks to Sheryl Sandberg about Option B
CEO of Microsoft interview
Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED talk about having a stroke, which demonstrates the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain

TV and shows

Glen’s brother, Trevor’s podcast.

Hamilton, the hip hop musical about the history of America
Star Trek Discovery on Netflix

Posted On February 12, 2019

Posted By Cindy Tonkin

Posted In Season 2

Tagged explaining learning professional development questions soft skills

Share


Prev

11: Sachin Kumar: Smart is the new sexy

Next

Chris Carr – Transcript

Scroll to the top
Themes
Find it
Latest Episodes
  • 32: Dean Marchiori: Going full circle
  • 31: Moha Ganji: planning, mentors, reflection
  • 30: Lori Silverman: not just decisions. Actions!
  • 29: Chris Crook: Targeted curiosity
  • 28: Gabe Mach: Nothing you can’t fix with numbers
View all Episodes