Developing Your Analytical Skills (Live Online)

Developing Your Analytical Skills: How to Research and Present InformationQuickly synthesize qualitative data, determine implications, and make informed decisions.Who Should Attend:All business professionals who want to learn basic analytical skills that they can apply to their jobs to make more informed and successful business decisions.When making decisions, how do you assess the credibility of information? Do you conduct research and gather data methodically, or act on instinct and follow the latest trends? Do you know what key questions to ask? Feel confident you’re making valid decisions?Whether you are developing a new product or service, presenting findings on a competitor’s product, or deciding how to allocate resources, you need the analytical skills to be able to support your conclusions with valid and credible evidence. In this course, you’ll learn the basics to implement a process for data analysis that ensures you’re focusing on the most critical information, involving the right people, and conveying your message in terms your audiences will understand.How You will Benefit:Identify relevant informationResearch and organize data from multiple sources in appropriate formatsCategorize data for analysisMake difficult decisions involving qualitative dataPerform analysis from multiple perspectivesRecognize patterns and determine what they mean for the businessEvaluate the evidence to identify the best opportunity or most rational solutionCommunicate findings and recommendations clearlyWhat you will cover:Analytical Skills and Data AnalysisIdentifying core analytical skillsExploring the challenges of collecting, evaluating, and presenting informationDescribing the steps in the analytical process: plan, analyze, concludeThe Planning PhaseDefining the purpose of the analysisImproving your analytical skills by clarifying relevant issues: Why? Who? What are the options, benefits, and risks?Identifying issues that are essential for comprehensive understandingDeciding on an approach for an analysis projectCreating a data collection plan for obtaining informationThe Analysis PhaseOrganizing, collecting, and evaluating data via graphic toolsPerforming affinity grouping to aggregate unstructured data into categoriesUsing a 2x2 grid and SWOT analysis to evaluate ideas and analyze strategiesDetermining risks and performing cost-benefit analysisEvaluating data and addressing information gapsThe Conclusion and Reporting ProcessUnderstanding the characteristics of valid conclusionsGetting from conclusions to recommendationsPresenting conclusions graphicallyTelling Your StoryUtilizing tools, tips, and techniques to present your story to multiple audiencesCreating and delivering a brief presentation that inspires and persuadesOutline:LESSON ONELEARNING OBJECTIVESApply Techniques to Information to Determine What Is RelevantPut Information into a Form That Can Be Analyzed Analyze Information in Order to Identify the “Best” Opportunity for Your Business, and Explain Your ReasoningRecognize Patterns and Discern What They Can Mean for Your BusinessIdentify a Framework for Creating Presentations That Uses Information You’ve Derived from Your AnalysisAnalytical Skills for the Business ProfessionalIdentify Core Analytical Skills Commonly Used By Business ProfessionalsDescribe Some of the Challenges Business Professionals Face in Collecting, Evaluating, and Presenting Information and RecommendationsIdentify the Basic Steps of the PAC Model Analysis ProcessLESSON TWOThe Planning PhaseIdentify the Purpose of the AnalysisUse a Tool for Clarifying QuestionsDecide on an Approach for an AnalysisDiscuss the Importance of Considering the Needs of Your Requester and Audience When Developing the PlanCreate a Data Collection PlanLESSON THREEThe Analyze PhaseUse an Outline to Organize Data for AnalysisAggregate Unstructured Data into SegmentsOrganize Data via Graphic ToolsAssess the Potential Risk Associated with an AnalysisExplain the Significance of a Cost-Benefit AnalysisDevelop a Decision Matrix  Use an Outline to Evaluate Data and Deal with Information GapsThe Conclude PhaseDescribe How to Develop Valid ConclusionsExplain How to Get from Conclusions to RecommendationsDevelop Recommendations That Can Be Used in a PresentationTelling Your StoryDiscuss Tools, Tips, and Techniques for Presenting Your Findings/Telling Your Story to Multiple AudiencesDeliver a Brief Presentation Highlighting Your Conclusions and Recommendations