Early in my career I was working for a large company on a project.
On this project was Bill, a well-respected, seasoned professional. It
was known Bill was a year or two from retirement. Far from waiting out
retirement, this gentleman was floating from project to project with
little pressing responsibility and offering advice where he could. I
knew of his reputation as a respected engineer and was pleased that
through a good friend I had gotten to know him. Bill had heard that I
was considering leaving my current position and starting an independent
consulting practice to provide analytical support to a variety of
clients. (This was well before today’s market and was more of a stretch
than such a plan would be today.) He suggested we meet for lunch to
discuss my plans.
Adapting to changes
Over lunch as we discussed my plans, he reflected on his long
career. After growing up in east Georgia, he found himself misplaced
both psychologically and professionally by the development of the
Savannah River Plant. Affectionately known by the locals as the “bomb
plant”, the building of the plant changed the region. Following a theme
of all great southern writers, it was the backdrop of a changing South
and the undercurrent of life captured by Pat Conroy in The Prince of Tides.
But Bill’s story was direct. Life as he knew it, based on a tight
circle of life long contacts, had changed. He had found himself in the
big city and had to live his off engineering skills. He talked about
how his life changed and how he had to change. I listened intently as
he was easy to listen to. He imparted his expansive knowledge with an
easy manner. I was not aware he was leading up to a life changing
moment for me.
Selling yourself is key
Halfway through the eggplant parmesan he delivered a straightforward
statement. “You’re good enough to do what you are planning to do. And
if you attempt to do it you will fail for only one reason. That reason
would be not recognizing how hard you will need to sell yourself and
your work to get business. You may think you are smart enough that
people will come to you without that effort, but it is not true.”
Over the years I have had countless bright people tell me they want
to do what I do – running a small consulting firm working on a variety
of projects. I am asked for advice and I do my best to prepare them. I
ask them how they like sales. “No, I don’t want to do sales, I want to
do analytics,” is the reply. I have seen many fail, very predictably.
Without Bill’s advice, I would have failed too.
Bill’s advice applies to anyone in any analytics job, anyone who
wants to increase their value and increase their position in their
careers. I have seen many efforts to explain analytics fail. I have
been responsible for my share of them. I have learned that the skills
and objectives are different than expected. Like Bill did, it requires
stepping out of your comfort zone. I try to capture those differences
in my new class. In part, I do this as a way of thanking Bil.
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